“He must be worth £50m”: Celtic star quietly becomes O’Neill’s key player.

Daizen Maeda’s farewell to Celtic on Sunday offered a reminder of what Martin O’Neill’s team have lost. The Japanese forward returned to Parkhead to say goodbye after his move to Ipswich Town, watching from the stands as Celtic suffered another derby defeat. Given the way the match unfolded, supporters could easily have wished the 28-year-old had been available to make a difference.

Only months earlier, Maeda had produced a spectacular end to the previous campaign. His memorable overhead kick damaged Rangers’ title hopes before he again proved decisive against Hearts on the final day. Few Celtic players have developed such a distinctive cult following. His pace, aggression, pressing and ability to arrive at crucial moments made him difficult to replace, and the early evidence suggests O’Neill’s side are still feeling his departure.

Maeda’s Celtic legacy

The 2025/26 campaign was not Maeda’s most productive season, but his timing was impeccable. During Celtic’s five post-split fixtures, he scored seven goals, playing a huge role in securing another league title. Across his Celtic career, the winger made 212 appearances, contributing 79 goals and 38 assists.

At his best, Maeda was relentless. His pressing constantly disrupted defenders, while his explosive acceleration allowed him to attack space quickly. He was not flawless, and some passes or attempts could go astray, but his capacity to produce important moments often outweighed those imperfections.

That is precisely what Celtic appear to be missing now. Maeda’s absence has created a sizeable gap, while his difficult beginning at Ipswich provides a strange twist. The £10m signing has struggled for regular involvement, entering from the bench in each of Ipswich’s last two Premier League matches.

Maeda facing a different challenge

Maeda has admitted that adapting to English football has been difficult because of the greater intensity. Speaking to Japanese media, he explained that the physical and competitive demands are unlike anything he previously experienced.

For Ipswich, patience may be required. For Celtic, however, there is a more urgent question: how can O’Neill replace a player whose particular combination of speed, pressing and decisive finishing was so valuable?

Celtic’s recent results have made that question even more important. A promising opening to the season has quickly deteriorated following the damaging trip to Linz, and the Scottish champions have now lost three consecutive matches in all competitions.

O’Neill searching for answers

The pressure around O’Neill has consequently increased. Questions about his position have emerged, while reports have suggested that Kieran McKenna remains a potential target. At the same time, Celtic’s recruitment has again attracted scrutiny, particularly after only two summer additions started the weekend fixture.

Yang Hyun-jun’s absence has been significant. The South Korean winger is currently away representing his country at the Asian Games, leaving O’Neill without another important attacking option.

Yang emerges as an unlikely replacement

Yang arrived at Celtic in 2023 for approximately £2m and initially needed time to adapt to Scottish football. He even appeared close to leaving for Birmingham City last summer, with a reported £3m move eventually collapsing.

That decision may now look increasingly important. Since O’Neill took charge, Yang has developed considerably and became one of the manager’s more trusted attacking players. Last season, only Maeda and Benjamin Nygren scored more goals for Celtic under O’Neill.

Yang had also begun the current campaign impressively. In seven appearances, he had registered three goals and three assists, benefiting from a return to his preferred position on the left side.

His contribution is not limited to goals. Yang has also demonstrated a strong work rate, averaging seven duels won per Premiership match this season. That willingness to compete gives him a similarity to Maeda, even though the two players have different characteristics.

Celtic feeling Yang’s absence

Yang was not always universally popular among Celtic supporters, but his development over the last year has changed perceptions. He has grown into a dependable attacking player and has scored 12 goals in all competitions since the beginning of 2025/26.

Camilo Duran has carried much of Celtic’s attacking responsibility recently, but even the Colombian has experienced a dip in form. More significantly, Celtic’s overall performance level has declined since Yang left for international duty.

The timing is difficult to ignore. Without Yang available, O’Neill has had fewer natural options on the left, and the manager was forced to use Kieran Tierney in a more advanced position during the weekend defeat.

That tactical decision perhaps demonstrated better than anything else how important Yang has become. When a manager moves a defender forward because a winger is unavailable, it highlights the depth of the problem.

Chris Sutton captured the situation with a tongue-in-cheek comment on Sky Sports, suggesting Yang “must be worth £50m” because his stock appears to rise every time Celtic play without him.

O’Neill’s key attacking concern

There is naturally an element of hindsight in such assessments. Players can seem more valuable when they are unavailable, and Yang’s absence has coincided with Celtic’s poor run rather than necessarily causing it. Injuries, form, tactics and the wider squad situation can all influence results.

Nevertheless, the recent evidence makes Yang’s importance difficult to dismiss. Celtic have struggled to maintain their attacking threat, while the alternatives have failed to provide the same balance on the left.

For O’Neill, restoring attacking consistency will be essential. Maeda cannot be brought back, and Yang cannot be expected to solve every problem alone. Yet the recent downturn has shown that the South Korean has become central to Celtic’s structure.

If his return coincides with an improvement in results, the argument surrounding his importance will only grow stronger. For now, the evidence from Celtic’s difficult week suggests that Yang Hyun-jun has quietly developed into one of O’Neill’s most important players.