Born in Japan on 20 October 1997, Daizen Maeda is a talented forward that primarily plays as a left winger for Celtic Football Club. Standing at 5ft 8in (1.73m) and weighing 10st 9lb (68kg), Maeda dons the number 38 jersey and has also gratified the Japan national football team with his skills. According to Transfermarkt, his market value currently hovers around £12m.
Maeda kicked off his football career professionally joining Matsumoto Yamaga in the Japan Lower Leagues in January 2016. His debut season witnessed him making nine appearances in league matches. He had a more successful run in the 2019 season, making 18 first team appearances and netting two goals.
In a persistence to hone his skills, Maeda switched to Mito Hollyhock, a team in the J2 League in Japan on loan in January 2017, where he scored eight goals in 20 first-team appearances. Subsequent to the completion of his loan in January 2018, Maeda re-joined Matsumoto Yamaga with a repeat of his previous exploits.
July 2019 saw Maeda make a move to Marítimo in the Portuguese second league, Liga Portugal 2, maintaining a solid record with 23 appearances and three goals. In August 2020, he was back to his homeland, joining the Yokohama F. Marinos in the elite J1 League. His first season with the club saw him appear 23 times and score three goals, whereas the next season bore witness to his major breakthrough where he appeared 36 times and scored an impressive 23 goals.
In a decisive move to the Scottish Premiership, Maeda joined Celtic on loan in January 2022. His initial season welcomed him warmly with 16 appearances and six goals. As his loan was converted into a transfer for around £1.4m in July 2022, Maeda continued to revel in fruitful seasons with Celtic. He featured frequently and consistently in Celtic matches over the subsequent seasons, scoring a commendable total of 37 goals across four and a half seasons.
Maeda's participation extended beyond the Premiership, manifesting in Celtic's campaign in the League Cup 2025 - 2026, where he netted one goal over three starts and one substitute appearance. His international duties for Japan saw him participate in the World Cup Qualifiers Asia 2024 - 2026, contributing one goal over seven appearances. He also participated in the Champions League Qualifiers 2025 - 2026 with two starts for Celtic and put forth a strong performance in the Europa League 2025 - 2026 with eight starts and one substitute appearance for Celtic.
