BRENDAN RODGERS acknowledges it has been a “real challenging” time for Daizen Maeda who thought he would be leaving Celtic right up until transfer deadline day.
The Japanese ace, the Hoops’ top scorer last season with 33 goals while winning multiple Player of the Year awards, revealed a deal had collapsed at the eleventh hour when the champions could not find a replacement.
The club sold Kyogo Furuhashi for £10milion to Rennes in January while there were summer exits with Nicolas Kuhn moving to Como in a £17.2million switch before Adam Idah left for £6million to Swansea City.
That trio represented 53 goals in total among them and there was no way Maeda would be allowed to join the star trek and leave the team bereft of a cutting edge.
HEAD BHOY…Daizen Maeda flashes in the opener against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
The international forward has struggled to maintain last term’s blistering form, but there have been glimpses as he demonstrated at Rugby Park on Sunday when he dived full-length to divert a peach of a cross from on-loan left-back Marcelo Saracchi past Kilmarnock keeper Max Stryjek for the opener.
Maeda was replaced in the 71st minute by another new recruit, Kelechi Iheanacho, who thumped in the stoppage-time winner via the penalty spot for a dramatic 2-1 triumph.
Reflecting on Maeda’s situation, Rodgers said: “It’s been a real challenging summer for him.
“He maybe felt the future was going to be elsewhere, but I think we can all see from that personality and from the humility he has, that it won’t take him long to get back to playing how everyone knows he plays – 150 per cent, working, pressing and always being there for the goal.
“So, he’s such a great guy and whatever the summer brought, it’s gone now. For him now it’s just about doing the very best he possibly can.
“It was a fantastic goal, great ball by Marcelo and then his movement and instinct to get across and make the header was superb.”
PARADISE…Kelechi Iheanacho looks heavenwards after netting the stoppage-time penalty-kick winner against Kilmarnock with Colby Donovan and James Forrest about to join in.
Rodgers was delighted with three points from the Ayrshire encounter and also with the victory that keeps the champions in pole position in the Premiership ahead of Hearts on goal difference.
The Hoops gaffer, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “We were really pleased for the players and the supporters.
“It’s always a difficult place, Kilmarnock, especially on the back of an international break, with the players coming back late and not being together for a lot of the time.
“I think the players got what they deserved and it was great moment for Kels (Kelechi) getting his first goal and showing the composure he did.
“It’s a process because of the changes and everything else. It’s rhythm that we’re after, and once that rhythm comes, the confidence increases and the game idea will positively get better as we go through the season.
“But what is important is that you’re getting results. We’ve been to three tough away games now and we’ve made a decent start.”
ON THE BALL…Colby Donovan has impressed Brendan Rodgers.
Nineteen-year-old Colby Donovan, making his first start with Alistair Johnston and Anthony Ralston both sidelined, was also praised by his manager.
Rodgers, who is preparing his squad for Sunday’s Premier Sports League Cup quarter-final against Partick Thistle at Firhill, added: “Personality is everything if you want to succeed, especially at the highest level.
“It’s not the most gifted players who always come through – it’s those guys who are consistent.
“They work hard and whenever it’s tough in games, they show that personality, and that’s what Colby has. I’ve really liked him since I first saw him.
“People talk about training the way you play – for me you train the way you fight and that means that you’ll take that mentality into your games and I see that in Colby.
“Every time he trains, he fights, he works, and young players like that, you want to offer opportunities.
“So, I’m delighted for him, a Celtic boy who has come through the system. Putting him in not an easy task at all, first game on an Astroturf pitch, the weather conditions, but he came through it.
“And, right at the very end, he was the one who was in the box making the cross that leads to the penalty.”
