Celtic starter told he wouldn’t be at Parkhead if he had a finish

Celtic have a squad full of very talented players. And one of the best things about this team is that they is a lot of versatility and a variety of players available to Brendan Rodgers for selection. That variation in skillset certainly helps the manager to navigate through different situations and it is one of the biggest reasons they have a commanding 7-point lead in the league despite having to deal with so many injuries early on in the season.

One of Celtic’s most important players right now is Daizen Maeda. The Japanese forward has had an up-and-down time at Parkhead till now, but he quite certainly is a nailed-on starter at this point in time.

Interestingly, Maeda is not a prolific goalscorer. Or has not been at Celtic Park, because he was scoring a lot for Yokohama F. Marinos before making the move to Glasgow. Everything else that he brings to the table is very important to this team though.

Many might have thought that Maeda would have lost his place in the team following the exit of Ange Postecoglou. But that has not been the case, as Rodgers has continued to give him starts as well.

Celtic starter told he wouldn’t be at Parkhead if he had a finish

Maeda has been told that he would not be at Celtic Park if he could finish more consistently. As reported by Glasgow Live, Peter Grant told Go Radio:

"“Listen, he’s been excellent. If he had a finish in him he wouldn’t be at Celtic Park. I am not being disrespectful to Celtic because if he had a finish in him with the work ethic he’s got – all the top teams look for that!“His work against the ball is phenomenal. Now it is when he gets the opportunity for his final cross or selection of pass. If all that was spot on you could not afford to have him at your club.”"

Maeda not being a prolific goalscorer has not stopped him from being linked with a move down south. In fact, Tottenham Hotspur are one of the teams rumoured to be interested in him.

Celtic fans will be hoping that Maeda remains at Parkhead for the foreseeable future though. Especially as it looks like Luis Palma has an eye and a half for goal. So, they might not need the Japanese international to score a lot. But his work rate is invaluable to this team.