Celtic hero Daizen Maeda finally gets hard-earned break as diary clears for Hoops star to spend time with new child
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CELTIC hero Daizen Maeda will be able to take a well-earned break after today's Scottish Cup Final as Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu revealed he has rested him for their World Cup qualifiers.
Japan were the first team to clinch their qualification for the Finals next year in USA, Canada and Mexico and they still have two more dead rubber games to come in their group, away to Australia and at home to Indonesia.
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Daizen Maeda is named Player of the Year
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
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Daizen Maeda of Celtic arrives prior to the clash with Hibs
Credit: Getty
But Maeda - and injured Celtic teammate Reo Hatate - won't have to make the exhausting trip halfway around the world after Moriyasu opted to leave out some of his most established stars to look at other domestic-based players instead.
He explained: "Some of the regular players who are always in the squads have been left out for these games.
"Considering that some of the main players had played a lot of games before and suffered frequent injuries throughout the season, we decided not to call them up this time.
"The guys who have played a lot of football deserve a rest."
Maeda will play his 56th game of the season for club and country today when he starts in the Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen - he's scored 34 goals.
But as well as picking up a hat-trick of personal gongs, Maeda is celebrating becoming a dad for the third time.
He'd headed back to Japan last month to be with his wife but then returned to face Rangers with his child still to be born.
Maeda said: 'I now have a baby boy.
"I've just seen him on video calls.
"I haven't seen him face-to-face yet so I just want to go into the off-season and see him.'
Celtic ace lookalike goes viral in hilarious vids spoofing Hoops star Daizen Maeda
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