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 isn’t quite as technical as O’Riley and there are still some rough edges that might put off some of the teams in the English Premier League, where most wide men have the first touch of an angel licking an ice cream cone.
There’s also the fact his relentless high pressing wouldn’t scare the wits out of EPL full-backs they way it does in Scotland.These guys drop a shoulder when harassed or they pass neat triangles to get out of trouble, while in Scotland it’s rabbits in headline stuff. Yet we’ve seen in Europe, especially when played through the middle, Maeda can get under the skin of centre backs. Ask Bayern Munich. Kim Min-Jae will still be having nightmares about the wee man being on his case.
And that’s another reason why Maeda is worth his weight in gold. It would be a three-for-one deal. The 27-year-old is probably at his most effective out wide, but he can play either flank and is a major nuisance through the middle.
He’s got far more reliable as a finisher as well and with 25 goals up the cuff already, he’s on target to hit 30 for the term while hoovering up the player of the year awards. That makes him Celtic’s most valuable player – but how would that translate to cold, hard cash.
Kyogo went for £10m at 30-year-old so there’s not a chance Maeda could go for less. But £15m, £20m, even £25m? Celtic are under no stress to sell and while the player himself is notoriously quiet, he does seem pretty happy in Glasgow.
It’s a nice position for Celtic – and Maeda – to be in. You can see big money bids eventually arriving to tempt the likes of Nicolas Kuhn and Arne Engels to the next stage of their careers. Maeda could now also be one who gets an opportunity for one big last move that could set him and his family up for life.
Celtic can set the price as high as they like because it doesn’t take a calculator to work out his value to this Hoops team. Maeda is absolutely priceless.