Daizen Maeda’s new role 'makes Celtic transfer planning easier'

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes Daizen Maeda can make their summer transfer plans easier after his sensational switch to a central role.

Maeda took his goal tally for the season to 30 with a clinical double against Hearts on Saturday.

The Japan international also headed against the post in the 3-0 win before Jota netted the rebound.

Maeda has now scored 15 goals in 12 appearances since the departure of Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes in January.

The 27-year-old had played on the wing for the vast majority of his first three years in Scotland but his compatriot’s exit for France resulted in Maeda moving to a predominantly central role.

The former Yokahama F. Marinos player’s form since then has taken the pressure off the club following their failure to bring in a striker in the January transfer window once Furuhashi moved.

And his ongoing prowess in front of goal looks set to further influence Celtic’s transfer policy.

When asked if he was now a centre-forward, Rodgers said: “I think he can be. I think it’s one where if we were to move him back on to the side and take him out of the middle, with all due respect it’s probably easier for us to bring in a top winger than it would be a top striker.

“But he can clearly play the position and I am so happy that he can.”

Rodgers was well aware of Maeda’s goalscoring history with Yokohama and Japan before he returned to Celtic in the summer of 2023.

“In my first pre-season back out in Japan, he scored a hat-trick,” Rodgers added. “I could see his movement and his runs and his finishing.

“Of course, we had Kyogo here with Adam Idah. But I always like to have a press at the top end of the pitch who brings intensity to the game. For me, he brings that with the runs. And goals.”

Hearts attacked Celtic in the first half but were cut open for both Maeda’s goals as the champions quickly went from back to front with a series of incisive passes.

With his side three down at the break, visiting head coach Neil Critchley admitted he went for “damage limitation” ahead of an uneventful second half.

But he will maintain his first-half approach on his next visit to Celtic Park.

“I don’t want the players to lose belief in who I want us to be,” he said. “In my opinion, as a coach, you always have to protect or develop the traditions of the football club.

“It’s always been built on going toe-to-toe, being on the front foot, being aggressive. We’ll learn from that.

“I want us to be that team and get better at being the team we were in the first half and doing that for longer, and doing it better and doing it against top opponents.

“That’s what we’ve got to strive for. That’s where we want to be and this is the type of teams we want to be playing against and competing against for longer every week. That’s my test as a coach and that’s where I want us to move forward as a club.

“The principles of how we play the game, I will live and die by that and protect those principles that I think represent the club that I think we should be.”