Daizen Maeda among three Celtic players who would thrive under Christian Ilzer
Daizen Maeda is one of three Celtic players who should want Christian Ilzer to succeed Martin O’Neill as their manager this summer.
O’Neill is due to step down from his duties as Celtic boss at the end of this season, no matter what happens over the next seven league games.
They are chasing another Premiership title as it stands, but sit third behind Rangers and Hearts and need to improve quickly to be in with a chance of silverware until the very last match.
Hoffenheim manager Ilzer has been linked with taking over at Parkhead after O’Neill, with numerous bookmakers pricing him as a real contender for the job.
It remains to be seen if he will be named Celtic’s next manager this summer, and Football Insider have looked at three players who should want him to be hired ahead of next term.
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VISIT THE MANAGER HUBDaizen Maeda
Maeda has not been at his best this season, with just eight goals in 45 games in all competitions so far after hitting 33 home in 51 appearances last term.
It is clear that he is not suited to O’Neill’s style of play, and so a change of manager could do a lot for his mindset and give him a new lease of life more than anything else.
| Appearances | 29 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Headed shots per 90 | 0.69 |
| Big chances created per 90 | 0.45 |
| Aerial duels won % | 21.7% |
| Possession won in final third per 90 | 0.45 |
| Touches in opposition box per 90 | 5.64 |
From a tactical perspective, Ilzer’s Hoffenheim have delivered more accurate crosses per match per game than any team in the Bundesliga this season, and have won the third-most corners of any team so far.
If he puts a similar onus on getting the ball into the box at Celtic, it should suit Maeda more than any striker who is contracted to the club for next term, as he is the best performing when it comes to aerial duels and touches in the opposition’s box.
Football Insider have revealed that Celtic plan to accept offers for Maeda this summer, but they make think twice if Ilzer is appointed soon.
Benjamin Nygren
Attacking midfielder Nygren has been the Hoops’ talisman in front of goal this season, with 19 goals and seven assists in 49 appearances up to now.
He likes to crash into the box from deep, so three of those goals have come from corners, and he is also a top performer among midfielders across the whole league for headed shots per game.
Ilzer also places a huge focus on high pressing, and his side is the best for winning possession in the final third in the Bundesliga so far this season, at 5.7 times per 90 minutes.
Those tactics are ideal for Nygren, who has won possession in the final third more than any other Premiership midfielder per game so far in 2025-26, and is sixth among all players in the division.
Alistair Johnston
Johnston will be like a new signing for Celtic next season, having been out since October and playing just twice in the Premiership so far this term.
When he was fit last season, the Canada international proved himself as one of the best attacking full-backs in the Premiership, with four goals and 10 assists in 32 league outings.
Ilzer’s current first choice right-back is ex-West Ham man Vladimir Coufal, and he has made a fantastic impact since joining Hoffenheim, with one goal and six assists in 27 Bundesliga games.
The Austrian is likely to make Johnston play the same role as the Czech star if he becomes Celtic boss, telling one of his full-backs to push forward to create chances, and even sometimes deploying them as wing-backs in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Target: Elijah Just (Motherwell)
Long-term: Carter-Vickers out
League Pos: 2nd (61 pts)
Status: Summer Talks Underway
Revenue: £143.6m (2025)