Daizen Maeda, a Japanese forward noted for his left-winger skills, was born on October 20, 1997 and is currently 28 years old. Donning number 38 jersey, he plays for Celtic, and stands at a height of 5ft 8in (1.73m) and tips the scale at 10st 9lb (68kg). He has also earned his stripes representing the Japan national team. Maeda's market value presently sits around £11.5m, according to Transfermarkt.
Maeda first kicked off his professional career with Matsumoto Yamaga in the Japanese Lower Leagues in January 2016. In his debut season, he made nine first-team appearances. By the 2019 season, his contributions increased to 18 first-team appearances, and he also netted two goals.
He was loaned to Mito Hollyhock in the J2 League in Japan in January 2017. During this time, he asserted his importance in 20 first team appearances and confirmed his scoring prowess with eight goals. A year later, in January 2018, he returned to Matsumoto Yamaga until a loan arrangement saw him move to Marítimo in the Liga Portugal 2 in Portugal in July 2019. Here, he scored three goals in 23 first team appearances.
August 2020 saw Maeda sign for Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League in Japan for an undisclosed fee. Here, he built upon his remarkable scoring record by netting three goals in 23 first team appearances in 2020, and a staggering 23 goals in 36 appearances in the 2021 season.
In January 2022, Maeda moved on loan to Celtic in the Premiership in Scotland, where he made an immediate impact, scoring six goals in 16 first team appearances. By July 2022, the loan move was made permanent, with Maeda moving for a fee of around £1.4m. Since then, he has been a remarkable asset for Celtic. His years at Celtic have seen a steady progress, from scoring eight goals from 35 appearances in the 2022-2023 season, to an impressive 16 goals from 34 appearances in the 2024-2025 season. In the current 2025-2026 season, he has already scored six goals from just 15 appearances.
Beyond domestic league football, Maeda has proven his worth in international competitions. His performances have been notable in fixtures such as the Champions League 2023-2024 season, League Cup 2025-2026 for Celtic and the World Cup Qualifiers Asia 2024-2026 for Japan, as well as the Champions League Qualifiers and Europa League season of 2025-2026 for Celtic.
