Brendan Rodgers says Daizen Maeda has a big appreciation of the support he is receiving from the Celtic fans amid speculation over a potential new contract.
The Japanese forward took his ever-growing goal tally for the season to 30 after netting a first-half brace in his side’s 3-0 win over Heart of Midlothian on Saturday.
Rodgers outlined last week that he has spoken with Celtic’s majority shareholder, Dermot Desmond, about a potential new contract for Maeda and that ‘hopefully’, a deal can be agreed.
The 27-year-old is in the richest of form and is loving life with the Scottish Premiership champions: “You can see it,” Rodgers told Celtic TV.
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Rangers forward Vaclav Cerny is going viral for his outrageous touchline celebration, just moments after Hamza Igamane netted a late winner in Sunday’s dramatic Old Firm derby. It was an afternoon to remember for Barry Ferguson and his Rangers side, just days after they secured their place in the Europa League quarter-final with victory over Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce. The visitors went two goals ahead at Celtic Park through Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diamonde but after Diazen Maeda pulled one back for Celtic in the opening stages of the second-half, things took a turn. In fact, they levelled the scores with 74 minutes played as Japan international Reo Hatate slotted past Jack Butland with ease. But then, with two minutes of normal time remaining, substitute Hamza Igamane scored his 14th goal of the season as in-form Rangers clinched an unforgettable three points in Glasgow. Moments after Igamane ended a recent goal drought in the dying embers, Czech winger Vaclav Cerny could be seen squirting his water bottle at a section of Celtic supporters in the front row. As you can see from the post below, footage of the incident soon emerged on X, formerly Twitter, as fans reacted to Cerny’s animated celebrations. One said: “Vaclav Cerny sprayed Celtic fans with a water bottle after their goal,” and a second wrote: “Whatever it costs to sign Cerny. We will pay double.” A third wrote: “He’ll be lucky to finish their season now. Since when was this this appropriate from any professional?” A fourth said: “Top level s***housery…..should actively be encouraged in football,” and a fifth added: “Creased every time I see it. Could watch this on repeat all day.” Speaking in his post-match interview, Rangers boss Barry Ferguson was asked about the incident involving Cerny. “No, listen, I was just concentrating on celebrating and making sure we were getting back into our shape,” he told Sky Sports. “I didn’t see the incident if I’m honest.” Vaclav Cerny sprayed Celtic fans with a water bottle after their goal… 😅 After becoming the first Rangers manager since Walter Smith in 1991 to win at Celtic Park on his first attempt, Ferguson was full of praise for his players. “It’s a really good feeling coming to your fiercest rivals and deserving to win the game,” he said. “I just said to the players to go and enjoy the next couple of days because it’s been a long time, I think five years. But I think if you look at the game overall, we deserved it. “I thought in the first half, that was the game plan that we came with. I thought the boys stuck to it perfectly. The second half, you always know Celtic are going to come at you because the crowd is getting frustrated. “I thought Brendan would make a change or two and he certainly did that, and it made a different to the Celtic team. They obviously got back into the game at two each. “But then I take a step back and what I’ve been trying to drum into the boys is there’s more needed at Rangers than being a good player. It’s been labelled by you guys, everybody in the media about character, and that’s one of the things I stressed to them when I come in today.” Cerny has been one of Rangers’ standout performers under Ferguson. Image credit: Getty Ferguson added: “It takes a certain type to be a very good Rangers player. My group of players are certainly starting to show that.” Thoughts on the moment involving Cerny? Let us know in the comments.
3 weeks ago
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“He has a big appreciation of the support he gets from the fans, who absolutely idolise him and love him.
“He’s got his new song, which is great.
“He feels that, he senses that, he knows he has the support here. This is the environment that we have. It’s a really supportive culture here.
“I think he’s in a really good place in his game and his life, and he’s showing that consistently.”
Maeda has consistently played as Celtic’s starting number nine since Kyogo Furuhashi’s unexpected mid-season departure to Rennes.
The former Yokohama F. Marinos man has excelled in doing so, netting 12 goals in his last 12 appearances.
“He doesn’t give away much, other than saying he’s very happy,” Rodgers said on the frontman last week.
“I look and see how he plays. But listen, I’m also under no illusions here. There are very few players that are going to do what Callum McGregor does, some of these players have a lifetime here, like James Forrest.
“Some players, especially these players that are from other parts of the world, they might fancy a change. It’s nothing to do with Celtic or the club or the support, it’s just life. But all I can do is judge when he’s here.
“He’s been brilliant here. He’s still contracted well here to the club. But of course there has been chats around improving that for him because he’s grown into one of the top players here. He earns every penny. We feel as a club he deserves more. So we want to do that. But of course it has to work both ways.”
