Daizen Maeda, born in Osaka on 20 October 1997 (age 29), is a Japan international left-sided forward now with Ipswich Town. His current market value is around £11m, according to Transfermarkt.
His development was not a straight line. Early loan football helped harden his game before he became properly prominent at Yokohama F. Marinos, where his 2021 league season – 23 goals in 36 appearances – made the wider argument for him. Celtic moved in January 2022, taking him from Yokohama into a side where his pace, pressing and appetite for awkward work quickly had obvious value.
Maeda’s Celtic spell was a successful one in very plain terms. He won four Premiership titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups, and was also part of a side that finished runner-up in the Scottish Cup. He was rarely ornamental. His best Celtic work often came in the hard yards – chasing, stretching, unsettling defenders – but there was enough end product to make him more than just a willing runner.
He left Celtic in July 2026, joining Ipswich Town for around £10m. In 2026-27 he has made eight Premier League appearances, scoring once, and has also appeared in the League Cup. Across all competitions for Ipswich, he has nine appearances and one goal.
Maeda has remained involved with Japan too, making three World Cup appearances this season and scoring once, along with seven appearances and one goal in Asian World Cup qualifying. His career has taken him from Osaka to Yokohama, through a trophy-heavy Celtic spell, and on to English football with Ipswich.
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