Scottish Cup Final: Was Celtic’s double win a farewell for Daisen Mada?

Pound-for-pound, a disruptive, energetic and tireless player who follows defenders like a bullet train out of Tokyo, he must keep the opposition alert before and after the match.

He had 13 goals in the first half of the season. 18 in 49 in the second; 14 for 36 in the third; 45 of 54 in the fourth, and 28 this season. He’s a natural wide player but he’s left Celtic’s hotshot recruit out of the hole with the departure of Kyogo Furuhashi and the club scrambling to replace him.

Mada did the work instead. It went into a vacuum, then was expected to be allowed to leave last summer.

By all accounts he was assured he could go. The idea was Germany, the club involved revealed earlier in the year that neither Wolfsburg nor O’Neill was expected.

“I was interested and I kept telling my club that I was going to take the next step in my life,” he said after Celtic informed him that his efforts to sign new blood had failed and he could not go anywhere.

“Celtic finally couldn’t get the necessary reinforcements and they told me they couldn’t let me go. I personally reached an understanding with the club. There were constant talks.”

In this situation, a player can fade. Promises broken, family plans interrupted. And maybe – maybe – he fainted, but if he did it was only for a while.

When the chips were down he was a colossus for Celtic, driven, focused, as hungry as anyone to get his team over the line and more influential than most in making sure it happened.

If he is gone, they will miss him. They will miss his goals, yes, but his energy, his integrity, his work rate, his ability to run and run. He didn’t stop.

At one point he waved the Scottish Cup at the Celtic fans, scarf around his neck, a smile on his face. If this had been his farewell, he could not have thought of Fonder.