Born in Japan on 20th October 1997 (now aged 28), Daizen Maeda primarily serves as a forward and left winger for Celtic Football Club. Standing at 5ft 8in (1.73m) and weighing 10st 9lb (68kg), the dedicated player proudly dons the number 38 jersey. He has also had the honour of representing the Japan national team.
According to Transfermarkt, Maeda’s current market value is roughly around £12m.
Maeda signed with Matsumoto Yamaga in the Japan Lower Leagues in January 2016. He made his debut in the 2016 season with nine first team appearances in league matches. By the 2019 season, his contributions increased to 18 first team appearances, with a commendable score of 2 goals.
Subsequently, in January 2017, Maeda was loaned to Mito Hollyhock in the J2 League. His inaugural year saw him take to the field 20 times, contributing eight goals to his team's cause.
On completing his loan term in January 2018, Maeda returned to Matsumoto Yamaga. He continued to prove his worth with continued appearances and 2 more goals in the 2019 season.
In July 2019, Maeda embarked on another loan journey, this time to Marítimo in the Liga Portugal 2. He managed 23 first team appearances and scored three goals in the course of the 2019-2020 season.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Maeda transferred from Matsumoto Yamaga to Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League in August 2020 without disclosing the fee involved. His efforts paid off in 2021 when he scored an impressive 23 goals from 36 appearances.
Then, in January 2022, Maeda received the call from Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, which saw him transfer on loan. His debut season resulted in 16 first team appearances and six goals, a trend which strengthened over time across subsequent seasons. 2022-2023 saw him score eight times from 35 appearances, 2023-2024 witnessed six goals from 28 appearances, and then he excelled in 2024-2025 with 16 goals from 34 appearances. In the most recent season (2025-2026), he has scored seven goals in 22 appearances so far.
After proving his worth during the loan term, Celtic signed Maeda permanently from Yokohama F. Marinos in July 2022, for an estimated £1.4m fee.
Aside from respective league matches, Maeda has also competed in multiple tournaments, namely the League Cup 2025-2026 for Celtic, World Cup Qualifiers Asia 2024-2026 for Japan and Champions League, and Europa League Qualifiers in 2025-2026 for Celtic, wherein he performed with commendable vigour.
