Celtic ‘club signing’ Shin Yamada is expected to make an early return to Lennoxtown after a difficult loan spell abroad, having yet to score this season and recently falling out of favour with a struggling German lower league side…
The Japanese forward – who joined from Kawasaki Frontale for a reported £1.5 million – was the only striker the club invested in during the summer transfer window.
Despite that, he was unable to register a goal with the Hoops in 11 appearances, most of which came as a substitute.
A loan move to German second-tier outfit Preussen Munster in January was intended to provide more game time, but the switch has failed to revive his fortunes.
Yamada has made just one start and four appearances off the bench without scoring, and was substituted at half-time in his only start.
Shin Yamada – Auchinleck Talbot v Celtic, Scottish Cup 4th Round, Rugby Park. Sunday 18 January 2026. Photo Vagelis Georgariou ( The Celtic Star)
Preussen Munster currently sit bottom of Bundesliga 2 and are in turmoil following a heavy 6-0 loss to Dynamo Dresden, a match in which Yamada remained unused.
He was subsequently left out of the squad entirely for their 3-1 defeat against FC Magdeburg.
The club parted ways with manager Alexander Ende last week, and prior to his dismissal, he indicated that the 25-year-old forward was unlikely to play a significant role for the remainder of the campaign.
Speaking via The Herald, he said: “At one stage we had 12 players out injured and that’s why we brought in loan players like Shin Yamada and Imad Rondic. Now all those injuries have cleared and we have six strikers for two positions.”
Shin Yamada of Celtic. Celtic v Livingston, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 23 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO Shutterstock
“Tough decisions and disappointments are guaranteed. But every single professional in our squad is extremely valuable to us.”
Yamada – who earned his first senior international cap of sorts or Japan over the summer in a home-based selection’s victory against Hong Kong – remains under contract at Celtic for a further three years.
Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay at Tannadice. Dundee Utd v Celtic. Sunday 22 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou
There’s a strong argument for a compromise agreement with the player allowing Celtic to cut our losses on a disastrous move, sadly one of so many under the current regime which strives to be world class in everything that they do.
Conor Spence
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And the winner of this season’s (and there has been fierce competition) Scheidt award goes to….
This policy of club signings, has been used more as a stick to beat the board with, than actually highlighting just what a failure our development programme remains imo?
Still got no issues, with basically having a third choice team available still, within our squad building process.
The good points, remains at Donovan and Murray getting some game time, that hopefully will be beneficial to ourselves in the longer term.
Why the decision, to fill the best part of those places available, in using foreign imports? I don’t get, when it achieved nothing and deprived our own potential youngsters in the making?
So we ended up with a potential 3rd team in place, littered with so many regarded as flops, and expensive ones at that.
Had no problem with such a plan, but how we executed it, has been embarrassing in general imo?
With the footballing calendar as it is these days, having only 2 players available for each position, is possibly not enough. Especially with having to contend with such an injury list this season
With the 5 sub rule in place, usually means half your outfield players will be changed during the course of most matches.
Yet we haven’t managed to deal with such a situation well whatsoever, this season.
The highlight been 7 different strikers used in 1 position, without any showing the starting position belongs to themselves.
Didn’t include Osmand, who at least showed potential within his very limited cameo.
So the three tier playing system for our players, may be correct in theory for the planning of a season, within the squad building process. How it was developed, was shocking, especially with so many problems in existence in all 3 tiers, throughout this season.
3 managers, haven’t found the solutions in what has been created for ourselves.
So the question still remains, is the theory correct or wrong?
Personally think it’s still correct, but 3rd tier players should be filled moreso with our own developed players imo?
Problems still remains as to why we are still struggling to develop 3rd tier players, to step up the ladder, when injuries occur, which will continue to happen over the course of every summer from now on, especially with such a footballing calendar in place for the foreseeable.
Our coaching set up for development terms, remains at rank rotten levels, as has been the case for years now, and only getting worse.
Our scouting network, seems to be operating with blindness, where more trust could be placed upon the guide dogs judgement at present imo?
So overall a total farce is in place at present, and just been hanging on by our fingertips for months now, which is still the case for ourselves.
No longer interested within the blame game as to why the likes actually happened?
Far to many culprits involved, in not carrying out there jobs properly for my liking.
As to who is going to resolve such a mess, over the summer period, remains as anyone’s guess imo?