Daizen Maeda at Firhill. Partick Thistle v Celtic. Premier Sports League Cup. Sunday 21 September. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
“You have to really look forward, really do it for your teammates, do it for your family, do it for your supporters and then eventually you get confidence back and you start to get back to your normal self. He’s been an incredible player for this club, and I’m pretty sure over these coming weeks he’ll get back to the form that he’s shown. I can only talk from my couple of years here, he’s been absolutely sensational. So, he will get back to that, but it is always a challenge. It’s not a light bulb, you just switch the flick on and off. This game is about emotions as well, and it can be challenging for players.”
Q: From what you know about his mindset, having worked with him for a good while, are you quite confident that he will be able to get past that period? I think you said in February that he maybe wanted to leave, but from February onwards was probably his best form that he’s had?
Daizen Maeda of Celtic reacts to missing an opportunity Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug just 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock
Brendan Rodgers: “I think that you’re going to have dips as a player, no matter if he’s here and committed for four or five years for example you can still have dips in your form and I think with Daizen it’s very obvious just because of the level of work and intensity that he plays with. I’m very confident that he will get back to the level, and like I say, as a guy, he’s a great person and leaves everything out on the field. He’s had this little issue around his ankle as well, which hasn’t helped, but he will continue to give absolutely everything.”
Q: What type of challenge are you expecting from Hibs, maybe not in the form he’d want to be in coming into this game?
Brendan Rodgers: “I think David’s teams are well organised. Some good results, some indifferent results for them but David showed last year in that point when they were suffering the he had coaching ability and managerial ability to turn it around and they end up having a great season. Unfortunately in the European work that they didn’t qualify and sometimes it takes a little bit of time to come through that but we’re still prepared for a tough game, they’ve got good players, they’re well-coached will make it difficult for us. Even last year we played really well at Celtic Park in the games but we still have to work very hard to get the result.”
Q: It was revealed today that some sections of the support are planning a silent protest that will increase for the next three home games is that something that maybe concerns you about potentially the impact it could have on the pitch?
Brendan Rodgers: “Well, I haven’t seen that as of yet. All I know, the uniqueness of Celtic as a football club is the supporters, and what makes them unique is the fanatical support that we get, so I can only hope that continues because it really lifts this team, and it lifts myself, it lifts everyone involved with the team, but yeah, I wasn’t aware of that.”
Q: Especially for European games you look to Braga next Thursday, that European atmosphere is something that really helps?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah absolutely, it’s a really special place but I would say it for every game the support we had there was incredible and it really pushed us and really helps us. European nights are special at Celtic Park of course but I would always go and say that wherever we travel, whether it’s home or away, it’s the Celtic support that makes this club.”
