Former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has lavished praise on Daizen Maeda, describing the Japan international as an “absolute freak” with rare physical attributes.
Postecoglou, who brought Maeda to Celtic from Japan during his time in Glasgow, believes the forward’s relentless work rate and intensity set him apart from most players.
While fellow Japanese recruits Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate initially attracted significant attention, Maeda has arguably carved out the strongest legacy given how last season ended with nine goals in seven games.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a standout 2024/25 campaign, collecting multiple Player of the Year honours. Although his form dipped during the early stages of last season, his end to the campaign will forever cement him as one of Celtic’s modern icons.
Speaking while working as a pundit during Japan’s World Cup clash with the Netherlands, Postecoglou highlighted Maeda’s pressing ability as one of his greatest strengths.
Postecoglou said via Glasgow Times: “Daizen Maeda, he’s a pressing machine. I worked with him, in terms of physical characteristics he’s absolutely elite.
“If the Dutch are sleeping on the ball today, he’ll close them down. Absolute freak of a physical specimen.
“His ability to close down the opposition, he’s got a real appetite for it. He’s just exceptional.”
The former Celtic boss also reflected on Maeda’s impressive finish to the campaign, crediting Martin O’Neill for helping the attacker rediscover his best form at a crucial stage of the season.
He added: “His goalscoring towards the end, Martin put his arm around him and got the best out of him because he was going through a tough time.
“At the end of it he was unbelievable, he scored an unbelievable goal against Rangers, an overhead kick.
“That’s the freakish ability he has, not just from a physical perspective, but to score goals.
“Really looking forward to seeing him play tonight, because he won’t be daunted at all.
“He’s got that sort of nature about him, he doesn’t care who he’s playing against.
“He knows the physical capacity he has, he’ll match himself against anybody.”
HAVE YOUR SAY – Join the Celtic conversation in our comments section below…
Quick Tip – Add Celticshorts.com as your ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for quick access to the Celtic content you value the most. It takes just a few seconds and you’ll notice the difference straight away! – Click HERE….Hail Hail!
