Daizen Maeda was born in Japan on the 20th of October 1997, making him 27 years old. Maeda, who primarily plays as a left winger for Celtic, stands at 5ft 8in (1.73m) and weighs 10st 9lb (68kg). Distinguishing him on the field is his number 38 jersey. Beyond the confines of Celtic Park, Maeda has also earned caps for the Japan national team.
His current market value stands around £6.8m, according to Transfermarkt. Maeda's contract with Celtic, possessing a remaining tenure of 2 years and 6 months, is set to expire on the 31st of May 2027.
Maeda's professional career took roots in January 2016 when he joined Matsumoto Yamaga in the Japan Lower Leagues and justified his recruitment with nine first team appearances in his debut season. His performances earned him a loan spell to Mito Hollyhock in 2017 where he played 20 league matches and scored eight goals. Following the completion of his loan, he returned to Matsumoto Yamaga, demonstrating an improved game-face with 18 first team appearances and two goals.
In July 2019, Maeda secured a loan move to Marítimo in the Liga Portugal 2, totalling 23 first team appearances and three goals for the Portuguese side. A year later, he switched sides again to Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League for an undisclosed fee. His tenure with Yokohama was marked by an impressive tally of 36 first team appearances and a whopping 23 goals in the 2021 season.
In January 2022, Maeda found himself on a loan to Celtic. He had a promising start, netting six goals in his debut season for the Hoops, and followed that up with consistent performances in the subsequent seasons with eight and six goals respectively. He's currently plying his craft in the 2024-2025 season and has notched up two goals in his 15 appearances so far. Ultimately, in July 2022, Celtic decided to seal Maeda's deal for around £1.4m.
Maeda has had a taste of international as well as club-level competitions. He participated in the Champions League 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 campaigns, making a total of ten starts and scoring three goals. On the international stage, he has participated in the World Cup Qualifiers Asia 2024-2026 for Japan, making six appearances with one goal to his name. His national team exploits also include the AFC Asian Cup 2023 where he made two appearances as a substitute. Finally, his domestic cup exploits were highlighted in the League Cup 2024-2025 for Celtic where he made three starts and netted six goals.
