THE inclusion of Daizen Maeda in Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan squad for the World Cup raised one or two eyebrows in Scotland. Not because the Celtic attacker didn’t merit that seat on his country’s plane to Qatar, but because of the fact club teammates Kyogo and Reo Hatate missed out.
Even Maeda would likely be candid enough to admit that his two friends have made a greater impact at Celtic than he has so far managed since coming to Glasgow last January, but Moriyasu clearly sees the value in having his boundless energy and direct running at his disposal.
So, like many, Maeda has sympathy for Kyogo and Hatate, but has vowed to do them proud by representing their club with distinction on the biggest international stage of all.
“I feel sorry for them both,” Maeda said. “It’s a shame they are not going to the World Cup, but I will do my best on behalf of them in Qatar.
“I think we have chances. The first game against Germany will be very important. We are targeting victory in that match and hopefully that will put us in a good rhythm.
“I am just excited to be going to Qatar. Celtic and the national team have very different playing styles, so I need to adjust my game. It puts different demands on me mentally and physically, but I need to adapt to play well.”
Adapting to Scottish football too has been less than straightforward for Maeda, who has shown in spurts just how valuable an asset he can be for Ange Postecoglou’s side, but is still searching for the consistency that would make him a nailed-on starter.
Indeed, after a slump in form a few weeks back, Maeda appeared somewhat revitalised in the matches before the break, something he puts down to the extra attention that coach Harry Kewell has focused on him.
“During these months I think I have fitted in well to the team,” he said.
“I have to keep doing my best and keep going to make the team’s targets. I will go to the World Cup now and my focus is going to be on those games.
“Yes, indeed I had some difficult weeks and months, but I had some very good support from our coaching staff. I have been working on it with them and I really appreciate what they are doing for me.
“Each of them has supported me. But especially Harry Kewell. He has been sharing his experience with me and we have been watching videos together. We have been having sessions and this is something which helps me a lot.
“Throughout my professional career and indeed my whole time in football I have not met a coach like Harry. So, it’s thanks to him that I am really enjoying my football and improving my skills.
“It’s down to Harry that I started to change my approach and performing better. Thanks to Harry. He is very good at establishing relationships with the players.
“He can verbalise clearly our good points and bad points. We’ll sit and watch the videos and he will explain to me very clearly where I can be better and what I need to do.
“It’s a good situation for me. It’s because of this that I feel I am really enjoying my football right now.”
Maeda may be the only member of Celtic’s Japanese contingent to have made it to the World Cup, but he will be joined in Qatar by club teammates Josip Juranovic, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Aaron Mooy, who will represent Croatia, USA and Australia respectively.
While he is willing each of them to do themselves proud, Maeda is also eyeing an opportunity to test himself against them in the knockout stages.
“We are all in different groups so I think we will be wanting each other to do well,” he said.
“Hopefully, we can all qualify and we will get a chance to play against each other in the later rounds.
“It would be very exciting to make it through the group stage and come up against one of my team-mates.”
As much as Celtic supporters will be backing their Bhoys in Qatar, they may not share Maeda’s relish that all four of them should be playing into the later stages of the tournament given the gruelling schedule that lies ahead when they return to domestic matters.
Maeda has no worries on that score though, and is looking forward to picking up where he left off in the Hoops when the World Cup is over.
“Hopefully I will still have plenty of energy for the games when I come back but I am not thinking about that too much at the moment,” he said.
“Once I finish international duty my focus will return to Celtic.”
