Daizen Maeda, a sprightly forward primarily operating from the left wing of the pitch, was born on the 20th of October, 1997 in Japan. Currently exhibiting his skillset in the Celtic Football Club, he can be spotted wearing the number 38 jersey. Standing at 5 feet 8 inches (1.73m), and weighing about 10st 9lb (68kg), Maeda is also a member of the Japan national team.
With an estimated market value of roughly £12.7m, according to Transfermarkt, Maeda initiated his footballing journey with Matsumoto Yamaga in the Japan Lower Leagues in 2016. His early years saw him getting a taste of first-team action in nine league matches, gradually building up to 18 appearances by 2019, where he also netted two goals.
In a bid to gain more experience, Maeda spent the 2017 season at Mito Hollyhock in the J2 League in Japan on loan from Matsumoto Yamaga. His tenure there proved fruitful as he scored eight goals in his 20 appearances. After his loan spell ended, he returned to Matsumoto Yamaga and replicated his past performances with similar appearances and goal records.
The summer of 2019 marked a pivotal point in Maeda's career as he moved to Maritimo in the Liga Portugal 2 in Portugal, also on loan. His Portuguese stint allowed him to register three goals in 23 matches during the 2019 - 2020 season.
Maeda finally bid adieu to Matsumoto Yamaga in 2020 and transferred to Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League in Japan for an undisclosed fee. His admiration for the country's top-flight league saw him score three goals in 23 appearances in the very first season, eventually rocketing up to a tally of 23 goals in the universe of 36 matches in 2021.
2022 brought Maeda across continents to the Premiership champions, Celtic. His move to Scotland first came as a loan deal in January 2022, during which he managed six goals in his debut season of 16 matches for the Hoops. By the summer of that year, the temporary move solidified to a permanent transfer with a cost of approximately £1.4m.
In his green-and-white journey so far, Maeda has been instrumental in front of goals for multiple seasons. With goal tallies of six, eight and 16 in 2023-2024, 2024-2025 and the current 2025-2026 seasons respectively, Maeda has proved his worth in the Celts' front line. He also boasts commendable international records, with one goal from seven appearances in the 2024-2026 World Cup Qualifiers for Japan.
As a player with Celtic, Maeda contributed in multiple tournaments, most notably with seven goals in five starts in the Scottish Cup 2024-2025, and lone goals in the Champions League 2023-2024, the League Cup 2025-2026 and few appearances in the Europa League 2025-2026. With his current exploits, it remains exciting to see how Maeda evolves in his journey with Celtic.
