Daizen Maeda is the Celtic star Rangers fear most as Chris Sutton compares bargain bucket Olympian to O'Neill's flying machine

Chris Sutton remembers when Martin O’Neill reached into the bargain bucket and brought out a diamond in Didier Agathe.

And the former Hoops star reckons his old club have struck gold again with the paltry amount of money it cost for Daizen Maeda’s move to Scotland. Sutton was blown away by the Japanese cult hero’s display at Livingston at the weekend when he inspired 10-men Celtic to a comfortable victory in a potentially awkward encounter.

Maeda – who cost little over £1m from Yokohama F Marinos in January 2022 – ran himself into the ground as the Hoops out-ball in West Lothian and then put the tin hat on an incredible performance with a stunning third goal in stoppage time. Sutty knows the 25-year-old has the ability to dazzle one minute and leave punters pulling out their hair the next – just like his old teammate Agathe. But he’s got no doubt whatsoever about the attacker’s value to his side.

Sutton said: “A lot of people will point to the £50,000 it cost to sign Didier Agathe being an incredible bit of business. But to land Maeda for just over a million looks like the steal of the century. He’s about three or four signings rolled into one. What a bit of business.

“I get the Agathe comparisons because sometimes the final ball is not quite there. But, like him, you simply cannot fault his phenomenal output and his worth to the team.

“Maeda’s team mates must love him – but opposition players will hate him. I know he was linked with a move to Tottenham, but I’m not sure how strong that interest was. There’s no doubt he would be a welcome addition to most sides. And obviously Ange Postecoglou knew what he was going to get when he brought him in.

“If you had 10 Maedas in the team you wouldn’t go wrong. He must be a total