After starring in the Glasgow derby at the weekend, Celtic’s Daizen Maeda is back in Japan for international duty.
The winger scored one goal and assisted another against Rangers on Sunday as he gave James Tavernier even more nightmares.
On the pitch, Maeda is a venomous menace who never gives the opposition a minute of rest. Off it, however, he is quite the opposite.
The 26-year-old is a kind-hearted man who puts his family and friends first.
Indeed, he enjoys a great relationship with Crystal Palace star Daichi Kamada.
The pair regularly convene on international duty, with Kamada recently lifting the lid on their wholesome friendship.
“We have a brilliant relationship on and off the pitch”, he said (Glasgow Times).
“We sit together on the bus, we eat dinner, lunch, and breakfast together. We always go to the sauna together.
“He even fetches me sweets and coffee even when I haven’t asked for them!
“Daizen is the type of person that everyone loves.
“I remember when he first came into the Japan team and he wasn’t really interacting with anyone. But I started talking to him, we became friends and hit it off.
“And we have taken that relationship onto the pitch too which is good for Japan. He has been in excellent form too.”
Maeda will be keen to make an impact in Japan’s games against China and Bahrain over the coming days.
He already has three goals in 18 caps for his country, but the attacker will want to build on such numbers during crucial World Cup qualifiers.
While Celtic fans will want to see Maeda perform well on international duty, their key priority will be seeing him stay fit.
The winger has been key at the start of the new season for his side, and keeping him in tune will is vital with the UEFA Champions League beginning in just under a fortnight.
Slovakian champions Slovan Bratislava come to Parkhead on matchday one as the Bhoys aim to get off to the perfect start.