McGeady reckons Celtic will miss talismanic Daizen Maeda | OneFootball

Aiden McGeady has revealed that Celtic will definitely miss talismanic striker Daizen Maeda, as the Japanese international closes in on a £10 million move to Ipswich Town…

19th April 2026; Hampden Park, Scottish Cup semi-final, Celtic versus St Mirren; Daizen Maeda of Celtic celebrates after he scores in the 2nd minute after a challenge on Ryan Mullen of St Mirren. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Celtic to receive up to £10million for Maeda

The newly-promoted Premier League outfit are eager to snap up the Celtic talisman who only has a year to run on his current Celtic contract and wants to fulfil his dream of playing in the world’s richest football league. That should be sorted sooner, rather than later, with the Hoops gaining £8 million up-front, and then another £2 million in performance related add-ons.

23.05.2026 Celtic v Dunfermline Athletic, Scottish Cup Final. Daizen Maeda with the Scottish Cup. Photo Kenny Ramsay

Maeda’s five-years of phenomenal service to Celtic

It’s not bad business at all for a player that has given us nearly five-years of phenomenal service and given us some spectacular memories and moments along the way, with an initial outlay of a mere £1.3 million when Ange Postecoglou moved to bring him from the J-League with Yokahama F. Marinos.

Even with those undeniable positives, there is no getting away from the fact that the club and manager Martin O’Neill will be losing a genuinely top-level talent to a provincial English side. McGeady has spoken out about his former side and boyhood heroes losing the talismanic striker and insisted it is a sore one to take.

3rd May 2026; Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Premiership Football, Hibernian versus Celtic; Ex Celtic player Aiden McGeady. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

‘Celtic need to be careful this season with what they do,’ Aiden McGeady

Speaking to Football Fan Cast, the Irishman said: “It would make a massive impact. In previous years, Celtic have been known for selling players for profit. Celtic have got an amazing model, they have had for a number of years, but too often it’s been a case where they let players go without bringing replacements in.

“We’ve seen that when they let Adam Idah go and they never had a replacement in,” McGeady candidly stated.

“So I think Celtic need to be careful this season with what they do. I think losing Maeda was inevitable at some point. It’s going to happen because Celtic’s model is a selling club. They bring players in, they develop them on, they give them a platform to win things, but they will move on.”

The former Spartak Moscow, Everton, Sunderland and Hibs winger also reckoned that whilst Maeda wasn’t at his finest for large spells of last season, the Japanese attacker showed up when the chips were down for Martin’s side.

Maeda patchy then fantastic last season

“I think Maeda was patchy last season, but towards the end of the season he was fantastic,” the ex-SPL winner added on Daizen’s end of season heroics.

Maciej Zurawaski of Celtic celebrates with Stilian Petrov (L) Shaun Maloney and Ross Wallace during the League Cup Final match between Celtic and Dunfermline at Hampden on 19 March 19, 2006. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Maeda compared to Maciej Zurawaski by McGeady

The Celtic academy product suggested that even although the speedster’s technique may not be the most cleanest he has ever seen, his pressing and all-round game more than makes up for it, even comparing him to his old teammate, Maciej Zurawaski.

“I think Maeda is fantastic off the ball, he’s 100 miles an hour, sprints, he presses, he causes so many errors,” McGeady confessed.

Maciej Zurawaski of Celtic celebrates with Shaun Maloney (L) and Ross Wallace during the CIS Insurance Cup Final soccer match between Celtic and Dunfermline at Hampden Park March 19, 2006 (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

“His goalscoring record over the last three seasons has been very good. To compare him to someone I played with. I don’t know if you remember Zurawski? He is quite similar to him I think. Very quick, presses well, alive in the box but technically, you wouldn’t say he was fantastic, but will score goals,” Celtic’s ex-wideman added.

Maciej Zurawaski of Celtic is seen with the Scottish Premier division trophy after the match between Celtic and Hibernian at Celtic Park April 16,2006. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Paul Gillespie

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