Brendan Rodgers names Celtic star who is 'best in the WORLD' at certain skill
Brendan Rodgers reckons Daizen Maeda could well be the best in the WORLD when it comes to pressing.
Celtic's Japanese forward, who can operate as a striker but is usually deployed wide on the left for his club, is an absolute machine and turns in an incredible amount of running in each game. His relentless pressing of full-backs is a huge help to his team and has often been highlighted in derbies against Rangers and other big matches.
Maeda was at his best during the victory over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday, constantly harrying defenders to lay on chances for his teammates and getting a goal himself. His manager insists he could be unrivalled across world football at that skill and pinpointed one moment from the Champions League which highlights it.
READ MORE: Two key Celtic men missing from training ahead of Falkirk Premier Sports Cup clash
READ MORE: Henrik Larsson Celtic book announced as fans get chance to be unique part of it
Rodgers said: "I would doubt there is anybody better in world football than Daizen Maeda in that context. I watched an image of the game where, and this is towards the end of the game, and if you see the clip back on a certain angle, he's making a recovery run into the left-back position tracking their right-back, thinking the ball is going to come across. But the ball goes to the centre half and he presses it and nicks it and is away.
"So that level of...even if you can do that it's the will and desire to do it which most players won't have. He could have easily dropped that press, he didn't have to do that one. He went, realised it wasn't getting there and he actually got to the centre half ahead of the guy that should have got there. Incredible, unbelievable pressing. But that's mentality."