Daizen Maeda has welcomed new Celtic signing Hayato Inamura after the defender made his first appearance for the club in a friendly against Cork City.

The Japanese forward shared a photo of himself with Inamura on his Instagram story, including the caption “稲村亜美”, a phrase linked to a Japanese celebrity known for daily updates and social media content.

The post comes just a few days after Inamura joined Celtic from Albirex Niigata.

Inamura played the first half of Tuesday night’s game in Ireland, showing calmness and confidence on the ball. He slotted in at left-back and looked comfortable both in defence and pushing forward.

Brendan Rodgers praised the 23-year-old after the match, saying he was surprised by how well he played and that he had a strong presence on the pitch.

Celtic went ahead through a strike from Luke McCowan in the first half. Cork City pulled one back after the break, but Colby Donovan’s late header sealed the win for the Hoops.

Inamura had been expected to go out on loan, but his solid display could now change that. Rodgers and his coaching team will watch closely as the team heads to Portugal for two more friendly matches against Estrela da Amadora and Sporting Lisbon.

Inamura’s move adds another Japanese name to the Celtic squad, joining Maeda and Reo Hatate. He will wear the number 25 shirt, the same number worn by Shunsuke Nakamura during his time in Glasgow.

Celtic fans will be keen to see how Inamura progresses over pre-season and whether he can force his way into the first-team plans before the league campaign kicks off.