Daizen Maeda, born in Osaka on 20 October 1997 (age 28), came through Japanese football as a hard-running forward whose game was sharpened by early loan spells rather than softened by them. His best scoring season before Scotland came at Yokohama F. Marinos in 2021, when he hit 23 league goals in 36 appearances.
Celtic brought him in from Yokohama F. Marinos in January 2022, and he quickly became a useful antidote to anything too leisurely. Maeda’s pace, pressing and willingness to do unglamorous work made him an important part of a successful Celtic side, even if his finishing could still test the patience. During his spell he won four Premiership titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups.
He left Celtic in July 2026 for Ipswich Town in a deal worth around £10m. His time there was brief but part of the wider arc rather than a clean break, with six appearances across all competitions in 2026-27, including five in the Premier League and one in the League Cup.
A return to Celtic has him back in familiar surroundings, still part of the current squad and still valued for the directness and work-rate that first made sense of the move from Japan. He has also remained involved internationally, representing Japan in World Cup and Asian qualifying matches this season.
Maeda’s current market value is around £11m, according to Transfermarkt. His career has moved from Osaka to Yokohama, through Celtic success, on to Ipswich, and back into the Celtic picture – a route with plenty of mileage in it, in every sense.
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