Football: Scottish Cup Celtic s Daizen Maeda L scores in the first half of a Scottish Cup semifinal football match against St. Johnstone in Glasgow, Scotland, on April 20, 2025. Imago Images
Maeda, the Celtic forward renowned for his relentless pressing and explosive pace, has laughed off suggestions he should abandon football to represent Japan at the Olympics.
The Japanese international has been enjoying downtime in his homeland following Japan’s World Cup campaign with the Samurai Blue.
Maeda made headlines at the tournament after recording an extraordinary 78 sprints in a single match, setting a new record at the competition.
Despite his remarkable efforts, Japan were knocked out by Brazil in the round of 32, with Brazil coming from behind to eliminate the Samurai Blue.
Maeda was also clocked at 22.1 mph during Japan’s match against Sweden, placing him behind only France’s Kylian Mbappe, who reached 23.4 mph during the tournament.
During a television interview in Japan, Maeda was asked whether he would consider switching sports to compete in middle and long distance running at the next Olympics in Los Angeles.
The Celtic striker dismissed the idea with good humour, saying: “Unfortunately, I think the athletes are at a different level from me, so no. But I am humbled at the suggestion!”
Maeda credits his natural ability rather than dedicated training for his remarkable physical attributes, stating: “I have always been into running and I have been doing it from an early age. I didn’t practice at all. I just got better naturally. My stamina is also natural.”
The forward also opened up about a period earlier in his life when he nearly abandoned football altogether to pursue gymnastics after watching the Olympics during his education.
He explained: “Football wasn’t going well for me at that time, so I decided I would quit and do gymnastics instead. My aim was always to go to the Olympics and represent Japan in the gymnastics events.”
Maeda ultimately realised a career as a gymnast was not viable, saying: “I gradually realised my body wasn’t flexible enough to be a gymnast, so from there, I tried to be a sprinter and worked on my speed all the time.”
It was the intervention of those closest to him that kept Maeda connected to the sport he now excels in at Celtic.
He reflected: “As I was about to quit football for good, my friends and family brought me back to the game I now love. They encouraged me not to give up and to work harder.”
Maeda also revealed that his appreciation for football evolved gradually from a love of running to a passion for scoring goals, saying: “I actually enjoyed the running part of football rather than the game at first. But then I discovered scoring goals was more fun!”
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