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Brendan Rodgers says Daizen Maeda has a big appreciation of the support he is receiving from the Celtic fans amid speculation over a potential new contract. The Japanese forward took his ever-growing goal tally for the season to 30 after netting a first-half brace in his side's 3-0 win over Heart of Midlothian on Saturday. Rodgers outlined last week that he has spoken with Celtic's majority shareholder, Dermot Desmond, about a potential new contract for Maeda and that 'hopefully', a deal can be agreed.
The 27-year-old is in the richest of form and is loving life with the Scottish Premiership champions: "You can see it," Rodgers told Celtic TV . Read more: Lennon Miller told he'll 'get enough games at Celtic' despite Callum McGregor factor Peter Grant issues the 'saving grace' that may prompt Celtic to sign loan star "He has a big appreciation of the support he gets from the fans, who absolutely idolise him and love him. "He's got his new song, which is great.
"He feels that, he senses that, he knows he has the support here. This is the environment that we have. It's a really supportive culture here.
"I think he's in a really good place in his game and his life, and he's showing that consistently." Maeda has consistently played as Celtic's starting number nine since Kyogo Furuhashi 's unexpected mid-season departure to Rennes. The former Yokohama F.
Marinos man has excelled in doing so, netting 12 goals in his last 12 appearances. "He doesn't give away much, other than saying he's very happy," Rodgers said on the frontman last week. "I look and see how he plays.
But listen, I'm also under no illusions here. There are very few players that are going to do what Callum McGregor does, some of these players have a lifetime here, like James Forrest. "Some players, especially these players that are from other parts of the world, they might fancy a change.
It's nothing to do with Celtic or the club or the support, it's just life. But all I can do is judge when he's here. "He's been brilliant here.
He's still contracted well here to the club. But of course there has been chats around improving that for him because he's grown into one of the top players here. He earns every penny.
We feel as a club he deserves more. So we want to do that. But of course it has to work both ways.
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