It was another one of those moments that makes folk smile before shaking their heads in disbelief.
There were 92-plus minutes on the clock, Celtic were already home and hosed against Aberdeen at 4-1. Yet there was Daizen Maeda hitting the afterburners for the umpteenth time that night, bursting in at the back post to bundle a fifth – and his second of the night – over the line. If ever there was a time when the Japanese attacker could be forgiven for not being on the scene in the nick of time, this was it.
After all, a huge chunk of the crowd had already decided the job was done and they’d hit the road in a bid to beat the traffic. Instead, Maeda was there like always, busting a gut to get to a ball, when nearly everyone else had put the tools away. It summed up the player in an instant. And it was another reason why Brendan Rodgers admitted afterwards he wouldn’t be surprised if clubs around the world were keeping close tabs on his man.
Even talking about the potential prospect of Maeda leaving would have sent shivers up Celtic fans’ spines though. But it’s a valid topic. Celtic’s hugely successful player trading model means it has to be.
Big money assets get cashed in when the time is right – and it's dictated by the teams who are holding the cheque books. And that’s where it does get interesting for Celtic and Maeda. Just how much is he worth?
This is a guy who cost buttons in global football terms. The £1.5million is looking every bit as much of a bargain as the same fee stumped up for Matt O’Riley a few years ago. O’Riley eventually went to Brighton for £25m – is that the ballpark for Maeda now? It’s tricky to say.
This is a Japan international who is under contract until 2027 for a start. There’s no doubt Maeda
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