DAIZEN MAEDA has silenced his doubters with his recent performances. The forward, who has been deployed to the wings in recent games, just hasn’t stopped working.

He was a stand-out at Ibrox, constantly tracking back and applying pressure on The Rangers’ defensive players.

In Celtic’s 7-0 thrashing of St Johnstone, the Japanese internationalist got his name on the scoresheet, but his overall performance won the player the Man of the Match award.

Speaking on Celtic TV, Stan Petrov was stunned by the player, saying; [Celtic TV]

“He just did not stop running. He fully deserved it [man of the match] and he has a smile on his face. He does the work and he did not stop. We seen a couple of situations in the first and second half when the team lost the ball, he was the first to react.

“He just wanted everybody to follow his lead, This is the way you lead – from the front. You do not let the opposition rest and that’s what he does.

“And he makes sure he’s always there and he makes sure that he tries to get there as quickly as he can to close the opposition.”

Maeda may not be the most technically gifted, but he’s an ‘Ange player’. He’s constantly running at the opposition’s defence, giving them very little time to think on the ball. His pace also allows him to get in behind the defence with ease.

With him and Kyogo back, Celtic’s pressing will rise through the roof. Opposition defences are going to be on high alert.

He’s already played an entire season in Japan and has continued playing in Scotland. With rest, it’s scary to think how good he can be.