Celtic hero has Kyogo record and major honour in sights as bold Hearts dissected

The Japanese winger-turned-striker netted a deadly first-half double, scoring for the sixth match running to take his tally for the campaign to 30 with seven league and potentially two cup matches still remaining. Plenty time then to match or even surprass Kyogo Furuhashi's season best tally of 34 for the Parkhead side two years ago.

There were serious questions raised when Celtic sold their former top marksman to Rennes in January for £10million but Maeda has ensured this can now be viewed as shrewd business by not only stepping into the void but evolving into the team's star player and number one goalscorer since being moved into the central striking role.

Maeda was always a key contributor on the wing, in both goals and assists, but he looks born to play through the middle in this Brendan Rodgers team, perhaps even better suited to the role than Kyogo ever was.

The ovation the 27-year-old received as he was substituted in the 71st minute said it all with another approving roar greeting his announcement as man of the match in the closing stages.

Two weeks is a long time to stew on an Old Firm defeat and, initially, the 3-2 reverse to Rangers prior to the international break appeared to be lingering in the Celtic system as Hearts made the better start.

Neil Critchley set his team out in a bold 3-4-1-2 formation that had visiting players swarming into the Celtic half as the hosts struggled to play their way out from the back in the early stages.

Viljami Sinisalo, the back-up Celtic goalkeeper, was making only his second appearance for the club in place of the injured Kasper Schmeichel. His first act was to clutch the ball under his bar from a mishit Lawrence Shankland volley.

His next intervention was crucial as he made a smart save on his line when the net appeared set to bulge after Lewis Neilson had connected with a powerful half-volley from a James Penrice corner.

The Celtic fans at the front of the Main Stand were getting another soaking - this time from the swirling rain rather than any opposition player spraying water at them. There was little for the Hearts bench to celebrate here.

While their approach was brave, it took Celtic only two passes to slice through them for Maeda's opener on 17 minutes as Hearts were dissected by the speed and quality of their opponents.

Jeffrey Schlupp found Callum McGregor, who had ghosted into acres of space behind the Hearts press, and the returning captain had time to pick out the killer ball for Maeda to break the offside trap and finish clinically beyond Craig Gordon.

Maeda is now a shoo-in for Player of the Year. Not so long ago it seemed Nicolas Kuhn was the frontrunner, but the German winger hasn't quite lived up to his spectacular early season form recently. He looked a player struggling for confidence when losing possession with his first three touches of the ball.

Looks can be deceiving though and Kuhn came alive to have a huge hand in Celtic's next two goals. His ball in behind the Hearts defence for Maeda was majestic and although the header from the bleach-blonde assassin hit the post, Jota was onto the rebound in a flash to slam home for 2-0 with 24 minutes on the clock.

Undeterred by the scoreline, Hearts continued to commit bodies forward and teenager James Wilson, fresh from his first senior Scotland call-up, should have reduced the deficit when sending a free header wide from six yards from a Penrice cross. This was a harsh lesson for the 18-year-old that you simply cannot miss chances like this at this level.

Given how Hearts had started they would not have envisaged being out of the game by half-time but Maeda's second four minutes before the break ensured no way back for the visitors.

Great work from Reo Hatate in midfield released Kuhn down the wing and he left Hearts debutant Harry Milne for dead before putting the ball on a plate for the inrushing Maeda to net at the back post.

This was breathtaking football from Celtic - but 3-0 was harsh on Hearts. It became a case of damage control for Neil Critchley after the break as the Jambos boss abandoned his first-half formation, replacing Wilson with midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof, and reverting into a more defensive shape. An uneventful second half was the outcome.