LONDON - Japan forward Daizen Maeda has joined Ipswich Town from Celtic on a three-year contract, the newly promoted English Premier League club announced Saturday.
The speedster moved to Celtic from Yokohama F Marinos during the 2021-22 season and has since helped the Parkhead club secure five straight Scottish Premiership titles while being named 2024/25 PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year.
"I am very proud to sign for Ipswich Town," the 28-year-old said on their website. "I have always dreamed of playing in the Premier League and I am very happy I can realize that dream with this club. I have loved all of the conversations with the club and they have made me feel very welcome."
"My aim will always be to battle hard, score goals, and provide assists for my team -- I will always run and give everything that I have...I am excited to learn more about the club and meet the supporters."
The Osaka Prefecture native, who played for Matsumoto Yamaga, Mito HollyHock and Maritimo in Portugal early in his career, scored 79 goals in 212 games for Celtic with whom he also won three Scottish Cups and two League Cups.
Maeda has won 30 caps for Japan and scored five goals, netting in the past two World Cups, against Croatia in the round of 16 in 2022 in Qatar and against Sweden in the group stage of this summer's tournament in North America.
Ipswich are back in the Premier League after a season in the second-tier Championship, where they finished runners-up last season to secure automatic promotion.
