THIS is the bizarre moment Celtic target Daizen Maeda was the innocent party in a jaw-dropping J-League dive.
Maeda, 24, has been linked with a move to Parkhead to reunite with manager Ange Postecoglou who he previously worked with in Japan.
And Maeda was this morning involved in an incredible must-see simulation flashpoint in a match against Gamba Osaka.
The Yokohama F Marinos attacker, who has confirmed he's aware of reported interest from Celtic, was trying to take a throw in when an opponent threw himself to the ground.
Gamba Osaka forward Wellington Silva appeared to push his head into Maeda's arm before clutching his face and falling to the ground.
A confused Maeda then handed the ball to a team-mate before sharing his confusion at the incident by raising his arms in innocence and shaking his finger.
アカデミー賞を受賞したウェリントン・シウバの名演技をご覧あれウパ。 pic.twitter.com/4FmbugVcSp
— ウパー.≫( ・〔ﾏｽｸ〕・ )≪ (@the_finalman) November 3, 2021
Thankfully for Maeda, the referee was not fooled by the blatant dive as he instead showed Silva a yellow card for simulation.
However Maeda's side did go on to fall to a 1-0 defeat in the match with Shu Kurata scoring with the visitor's only shot on target.
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