Was Celtic's cup final a fond farewell for 'Larssonesque' Maeda?

Everyone at Celtic is reluctant to compare any mere mortal to Henrik Larsson, a saintly figure of the club's past. If you go there and mention a player in the same light then you'd better have credibility and an unarguable case.

Martin O'Neill fits the bill on both counts.

When he said the other day that Daizen Maeda's contribution in the nerve-jangling final weeks of the league season was "absolutely Larssonesque" it was a mighty claim, but could any Celtic fan argue the point? Hardly.

All the indications are that Maeda will leave Celtic this summer, exiting with a crash, a bang and a wallop.

His latest, and probably last, act was his lobbed opener that set Celtic on their way at Hampden. A ball dropping, a defender flailing and a striker as cool as can be, cushioning the ball up and over a stranded goalkeeper.

It might have been too early to say that the Scottish Cup final and the double was done at that point, but the writing was on the wall for Dunfermline. It was Maeda's 17th goal of the season and his ninth goal in his last seven. Larssonesque was not hyperbolic.

The post-final songs and celebrations, as Celtic enjoyed the fruits of their 3-1 victory, had O'Neill at their heart, understandably. It's hard to know just yet whether he's managed Celtic for the last time or not, but the fans weren't taking any chances. They serenaded him just in case this was the end.

Maeda took a back seat in ovation terms, but what a force he has been in a season that has lurched from the chaos of Brendan Rodgers' exit, to the embarrassment of Wilfried Nancy's time, to the undiluted fury of Celtic fans railing against the board, and onwards to glory under the great redeemer, O'Neill.

Figure caption,

Maeda opens scoring at Hampden

'Maeda a colossus when chips were down'

Celtic have had many doubles, but they haven't won one like this, a surreal experience.

Maeda was a central character. Before his goal-fest in the toughest weeks of the season, he went 17 games without scoring. That was 17 games of hard running but little return, 17 games when he looked at times like he had little left to offer and was already thinking of new climes.

Then, he turned up. On the title run-in, Maeda was a devastating presence, a ruthless finisher - something he hasn't always been renowned as.

Three shots on target against Falkirk and two goals; one shot on target against Hibs and one goal; two shots on target against Rangers and two goals; one shot on target against Motherwell and one goal; one shot on target in the denouement against Hearts last weekend and yet another goal.

His first chance on cup final day hit the back of the net. A goodbye goal, most probably. Celtic fans are wondering about what will become of O'Neill and who will replace him if he goes. They'd be as well as asking the same questions about Maeda.