SCOTT McDonald has advised Daizen Maeda to find a settled position within Ange Postecoglou's Celtic squad and watch the goals fly in.

McDonald believes Maeda's natural game is being disrupted because he is being shunted around the forward line on a weekly basis.

The ex-Celtic striker also reckons that Maeda will adapt to the Scottish game quicker if he learns to function better with his back to goal.

Maeda is on loan to Celtic for the rest of the season from Yokohama F. Marinos.

He has bagged four goals in 13 appearances so far including on his debut against Hibs during a 2-0 win back in January.

The Japanese forward, just like McDonald, is slight in height but the former Socceroos star believes Maeda still possesses all the physical attributes needed to be a successful Celtic player.

Fellow compatriots Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate have both gotten their respective Celtic careers off to a flyer and the focus of attention has switched to Maeda.

However, McDonald who was capped 26 times by Australia is convinced that once the attacker gets to grips fully with the Scottish game then the goals will start to flow for Postecoglou's men.

In the continued absence of Kyogo through injury, Postecoglou has been rotating between Maeda and Giorgos Giakoumakis for the coveted centre forward slot in recent weeks.  

READ MORE: Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou named Scottish Premiership Glen's Manager of the Month

McDonald said: "It's been difficult for Daizen Maeda coming into Celtic halfway through the season.

"It was made even harder for him because Kyogo Furuhashi has done so well.

"Reo Hatate who came in at the same time as Maeda has also hit the ground running for Celtic.

"Kyogo and Hatate's form has been unbelievable.

Celtic Way:

"As an attacker it can be hard but Maeda scored an early goal against Hibs and that should have been a launchpad sometimes to go on a wee run but it didn't happen for him.

"He has also been deployed in different positions and that doesn't help when you are trying to cement a first-team place.

"Maeda has been playing left one week and then up top the next and that is not what he needs.

"He wants to try and get a settled position in the Celtic team either as a number nine or a winger.

"I can fully understand that it is a totally different game in Scotland with Celtic to the one that Maeda played in Japan.

"Celtic have been getting the ball into the wide areas and slinging crosses into the box.

"Maeda is probably not familiar with that kind of game after arriving from Japanese football.

"It is also totally different in terms of the personnel Maeda now finds himself playing with.

"Everybody in the Celtic team will still be getting used to Maeda's natural game and he will be doing the same with his new team-mates.

"Time will tell with Maeda as he looks like a totally different type of player in terms of his technique to both Kyogo and Hatate.

"Maeda's strengths lie in the fact that he possesses athletic qualities and his attribute is his pace and his ability to sprint and run into positions.

"He is the kind of striker that likes to get in behind teams rather than play with his back to goal.

"He might need to work on that side of his game - in terms of stepping off players, holding the ball up and laying it off.

"Maeda just needs to keep drifting into those danger areas and taking up those threatening positions in the opposition's box.

"If he continues to keep doing that then I am sure he will score goals for Celtic."