Shin Yamada, born in Japan on 30 May 2000 (age 26), is a striker whose senior career was built at Kawasaki Frontale before Celtic brought him to Scotland. His profile is not complicated: a penalty-box forward who made his name at one club, earned a move, and then had to find his next footing.
Kawasaki Frontale provided the substance. Across three seasons he made 86 league appearances and scored 25 league goals, with 2024 the clear peak: 19 goals in 38 league matches. That return was the reason Celtic moved for him in July 2025, paying around £1.5m to take him from Kawasaki.
His Celtic spell has since taken the shape of a loan to Oud-Heverlee Leuven. His current market value is around £680,000, according to Transfermarkt.
Yamada’s career so far is still centred on what he did at Kawasaki Frontale, particularly his 2024 season. Celtic’s investment gave him a route into European football, with Leuven the next stage of that move rather than a separate story in itself.
📈 Key stats and insights
