Daizen Maeda, a Japanese native born on 20th October 1997, is a footballing force in the forward position, frequently deployed as a left winger for the illustrious Celtic FC. Standing at considerable 5ft 8in (1.73m) and weighing in at 10st 9lb (68kg), Maeda dons the number 38 jersey for the club and also has the honour of representing his home country, Japan, on the international field. Transfermarkt values the player at around €15.00m (approximately £12.8m).
Maeda's footballing journey began in earnest in January 2016 when he joined Matsumoto Yamaga in the lower leagues of Japan, where he made nine first team appearances in league matches during his debut season. Later, in 2019, he made 18 appearances and scored two impressive goals for Matsumoto Yamaga.
In a pursuit to further his career, in January 2017, the talented Maeda was loaned out to Mito Hollyhock, in Japan's J2 League. Over the span of a single season, he scored eight goals in 20 first team appearances. After a fruitful spell, he returned to his original club, Matsumoto Yamaga, in January 2018.
Maeda's career then took an international turn in July 2019, when he was loaned to Marítimo in Portugal's Liga Portugal 2. Across the 2019 - 2020 season, he scored three goals over a span of 23 first team appearances. His departure from Matsumoto Yamaga turned permanent in August 2020, as he transferred to Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League, Japan's top-flight football division, for an undisclosed fee. At Yokohama, Maeda made his mark with 23 and 36 first team league appearances in the 2020 and 2021 seasons respectively, notching up totals of three goals and a truly remarkable 23 goals over the course of these seasons.
However, the most significant move in Maeda's career came in January 2022, when he was loaned to Celtic FC in Scotland's Premiership. Over the following seasons, Maeda made a tangible impact on Celtic's performance in the league, scoring goals and creating opportunities. His transfer was made permanent in July 2022, in a deal worth around £1.4m.
Maeda's time at Celtic has been laced with personal successes. He's had several outstanding seasons in the Premiership, with impressive goal tallies and multiple first team appearances. Alongside stellar league performances, Maeda also participated in the 2023 - 2024 Champions League, the 2025 - 2026 League Cup, the 2024 - 2025 Scottish Cup, 2024 - 2026 World Cup Qualifiers Asia for Japan, and the 2025 - 2026 Europa League. In loans, transfers, varied leagues and competitive cups, Maeda continues to make his mark on the beautiful game, from Japan to Celtic, and beyond.
