33 goals in 47 games! The Celtics' 55th Summer Championship has to rely on the Japanese

Also in the UK, it is also in the top league, and it also won the championship four rounds ahead of schedule. The Celtics' momentum is far less than that of Liverpool. On the one hand, this is certainly because there is a huge gap in the influence of the Summer Super League and the Premier League, and on the other hand, it is because it is already the "four consecutive banks" of the Celtics in the Summer Super League. Including this championship, the Celtics have won 55 times in the Scottish Premier League, tied for first place with Glasgow Rangers.

However, it is not fair to say that the Celtics won the league championship without any effort. In the middle of the season, their top scorer and Japanese player Yukio Kohashi went away from Ligue 1 Rennes, and the team suffered huge losses in attack power. In times of crisis, Maeda Daran, a compatriot of Yukiwu, stood up. He perfectly filled the vacancy left by Yukiwu in 47 games. 16 of Maeda's goals occurred in the Scottish Super League. He is currently ranked first in the league scorer list and is expected to win the Golden Boot. In addition, his comprehensive performance has made the title of Scotland Player of the Year wave to him. The 27-year-old's contract expires in the summer of 2027, and Celtics head coach Rodgers is currently planning to renew his contract.

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"No matter how many goals you score or how many assists you, it's not good if you don't work hard on the court."

Daran Maeda's point of view highlights why he is a model in the Celtics, which is based on everything with unremitting vitality and a winning mentality.

The Japanese striker always impressed the Celtics. He has become the brightest star this season, helping the team win the fourth consecutive league title and has a great chance to become Scotland's triple-champion.

In January 2022, when Tian followed Postkoglu to the Celtics, many people could not call him his name.

Postkoglu went to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023, and Rodgers took over the Celtics. At this time, Maeda Daran had already scored 19 goals in one and a half seasons (including 5 goals scored in a friendly match). Many people wonder if Rogers can maintain the same level.

Maeda Daran not only maintained his level, but also improved.

In the first season when Rodgers picked up the Celtics' coaching stick again (he coached the Celtics for the first time from May 2016 to February 2019), Maeda Daran scored 6 goals in 28 games, leaving a deep enough impression on Rodgers. Compared with the hot state today, Maeda Daran's data looked mediocre last season, but this data was obtained when Kurabashi Yukio occupied the center position and he could only be squeezed to the wing.

Maeda Daran is characterized by his performance that he can perform well no matter what role he plays.

Whether it is leading the front line, wing assault or high-speed back defense, his speed and tactical qualities will make him the favorite of all coaches.

He was also involved in the Japanese national team for participating in the Qatar World Cup because of his hard running and high-intensity defense in the frontcourt. In contrast, both forwards and club teammates, Yukio Gubashi's goal data is much more eye-catching than him, but he has never been able to catch the eye of Mori Boichi.

It is precisely because he wants to be selected into the Japanese national team that Yukio Kobashi has the idea of exploring the five major leagues. He hopes to prove himself in a higher level league and win Mori Boichi's favor. However, Yukio Kobashi's performance at Rennes did not meet his expectations. His departure instead made Maeda Daran's performance at the Celtics.

After Yukigo Kobashi left the team in January, Adam Ida became the only available striker for the Celtics, and Rodgers had to use Maeda Daran to fill the vacancy left by his fellow countrymen.

As it appears more and more frequently in the middle lane, Maeda Daran's condition has been significantly improved.

In the first half of the season, Maeda Daran only scored 5 league goals, but after Yukio Kobashi left, he had scored 11 league goals, more than twice the previous half of the season.

He not only improved the accuracy of his shots, but also provided almost as many assists as he scored goals, and his goals often occurred at critical moments in key games.

Even when there was no goal, his active running and pressing increased the intensity of the Celtics' game by a higher level, so there was nothing that Celtic fans disliked him, he had become an idol player.

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Maeda Daran is so hot that it is no surprise that Rogers wants to extend his contract two years ahead of schedule.

"I've talked to the major shareholders, clubs and players. I hope to do this in the future," Rodgers said. "He has performed absolutely brilliantly this season. No matter where he plays, no matter how he plays, he has played a great season. Of course you want to renew one of the best players on the team."

"He has all the qualities of the center I want. His efficiency, intensity of the game and running before scoring are in line with my requirements."

"He has a very good judgment on the situation on the field, and I think his shooting skills are The improvement also makes him more confident. When he appears in the middle, you will feel that he will score goals, and he will create goals opportunities. "

" He is very obedient and has a strong learning ability, which is exactly the quality the coach wants the players to have. Many coaches may have some very good players, but they are often not very obedient, and Maeda Daran is different. Moreover, his learning ability is also helpful to him. "

" He is very confident, and standing in the middle means he can do different running positions. We have seen that in this position, he can do various running positions and do whatever you want. ”

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Sky Sports senior reporter Chris Sutton hopes that the Celtics can sign a long-term contract with Maeda Daran because he is crucial to the team.

Sutton said: "The Celtics have signed several outstanding players recently, and Maeda Daran's transfer fee of £1.6 million is absolutely worth the money. ”

"I think he is the best player I've ever seen in pressing, sprinting and intensity, but what he really improved during his time with the Celtics was the quality he brought to the team and the game. "

" The opponents who play against him must have a nightmare, and the improvement in strength he brought to the team was a huge surprise. He can score all kinds of balls—head, hoop, left foot, right foot. He is a key player in the European and Scotland, and he deserves the title of Player of the Year. "

" His skills have indeed improved. Although sometimes the pass is not very good, it is also part of the game. When he first came, his skills were very immature and his movements were relatively clumsy. "

" He has made great progress and can be said to be the most important player in the Celtics this season. I think this is because he was able to adapt to the position in the middle after Guqiao Hengwu left. "

" Last summer, if you said Maeda Daran could score 33 goals in a season, the Glasgows would definitely laugh at you. This summer is of great significance to the Celtics, especially to try to keep him. Not only will they have Scotland’s League Cup to play next season, they have also entered the final round of the Champions League qualifiers. "

"It is absolutely crucial to keep him. Everyone knows what he can do, how he plays, how he runs, how he breaks through the defense - so it is absolutely necessary to keep him. ”