Born on 20th October 1997 and hailing from Japan, Daizen Maeda is a resilient forward, primarily spearheading the offensive left wing for the Celtic Football Club. A player of sterling repute, he dons the number 38 jersey. Notably, this figure of prowess stands roughly 5 feet 8 inches (1.73m) tall and weighs around 10 stone 9 pounds (68kg). Besides his domestic prowess, Maeda has also successfully represented his national team on the international plateau.
Transfermarkt values him at approximately £6.8m. As of now, his tenure with Celtic stretches on for another 2 years and 3 months, with his contract due to expire on 31st May 2027.
In a mapping of his career, Maeda initiated his professional journey back in January 2016 with the Japanese side Matsumoto Yamaga. His debut season in 2016 was highlighted by nine appearances in league matches. As his skills honed, he managed to score two goals in 2019 from 18 appearances.
In January 2017, Maeda was loaned to Mito Hollyhock in the J2 league where he made twenty appearances and bagged eight goals. By January 2018, Maeda returned to Matsumoto Yamaga, again marking two goals in the 2019 season, having made 18 appearances.
The turn of the decade saw Maeda transferred to Marítimo in Portugal in July 2019 where he made 23 starts and marked three goals. Yet August 2020 saw a move to Yokohama F. Marinos at an undisclosed fee, where he scored a notable 23 goals from 36 appearances in the year 2021.
A landmark arrival at Celtic in January 2022 started off with a loan period. Over three seasons starting 2021 - 2022 and leading to the current ongoing season 2024 - 2025, Maeda has made over 100 appearances and scored 33 goals. An official transfer in July 2022 put him on Celtic's payroll for around £1.4m.
Maeda has left his mark in a number of high-profile tournaments. The 2023-2024 Champions League saw him starting in four matches for Celtic. He brought his distinct prowess to the League Cup 2024 - 2025, marking six goals within three starts for Celtic. Following suit, the Scottish Cup 2024 - 2025 saw Maeda scoring five goals in three starts. Internationally, he scored one goal after making six appearances in the World Cup Qualifiers Asia 2024 - 2026 for Japan. The Champions League 2024 - 2025 yielded four goals for Celtic through Maeda's nine starts.
