Former Celtic winger Bobby Petta has shared his thoughts on Daizen Maeda’s new role at the Hoops, specifically the shift from his previous position on the wing to a more central role following Kyogo’s departure in January.

Petta, who enjoyed a memorable time at Celtic Park during the late 1990s and early 2000s, expressed that he was initially unsure about Maeda’s effectiveness as a winger.

He said: (The Warm Up), “To be honest, at the start, I was a bit confused because of his running, because he’s super fast.

“Now he’s got a little bit more freedom being in the centre of the park. I think he has always been a striker.”

Reflecting on a conversation he had with Brendan Rodgers at a charity game, Petta said: “I remember speaking to Brendan Rodgers in one of the charity games at St Roch’s, and I said, ‘Can I ask say something [about Maeda]? I’d love to work on his movement.

“He’s super fast. The timing of his running is just a bit stuck. He needs to work on his movement. Come short, come long, because a lot of times he’s standing here, I want him to go. He outruns everyone. He’s got more momentum to do something with that.’”

Petta added that Rodgers had acknowledged Maeda’s potential as a striker. “Now he says, But he’s a striker. Now you see him, a different change; now he runs on.”

The shift has allowed Maeda to fully utilise his speed and clinical finishing, and it’s clear that the move to a central role has taken him up a gear, if that was even possible.

Petta’s belief that Maeda was always more suited to playing as a striker now looks like a sensational prediction, and for Celtic supporters, it’s exciting to see Maeda stepping up and delivering in Kyogo’s absence.