After 45 minutes of pre-season action Shin Yamada has left Celtic for a season long loan with Belgian side OH Leuven.
Yamada was a half time substitute last week away to Shelbourne but missed today’s defeat from Sporting Lisbon.
The reason for that became clear soon after the final whistle in the Algarve with an announcement from Leuven.
Yamada joined Celtic from Kawasaki Frontiers on 19 July 2025. Within a year he has twice been shipped out on loan having failed to impress three different management teams.
Clearly Martin O’Neill saw virtually nothing in the Japanese forward for the season ahead.
Despite Johnny Kenny being out injured Celtic have agreed a deal for Yamada to go out on loan to the Belgian club.
Welcome, Shin Yamada ??
OH Leuven heeft een nieuwe aanvaller beet! De 26-jarige Shin Yamada komt over van Celtic FC en wordt gehuurd voor één seizoen. #ohleuven pic.twitter.com/rEfgo5l3wb
— OH Leuven (@OHLeuven) July 14, 2026
O’Neill clearly sees no future in a player signed by the club last summer.
Some training sessions plus 45 minutes in a friendly have convinced him that there is no place for Yamada in his Celtic plans.
On the plus side Camilo Duran scored six minutes into his debut in the 4-1 defeat from Sporting tonight.
CELTIC- DIMINISHING STRIKING OPTIONS
With Kenny unlikely to play in either of the two remaining friendlies Duran and Callum Osmand are the only striker options.
That would normally suggest that Celtic are close to signing a striker or two but other than a contract offer to Kelechi Iheanacho there seems to be nothing in the pipeline.
On Saturday Celtic host Middlesbrough with the clock racing towards the start of competitive action.
On August 3 they host Dundee in the SPFL opener, two weeks later they face a Champions League Play Off.
Last season Yamada was in the squad against Kairat Almaty then dropped from the Europa League.
In January he joined Bundesliga 2 side Pressen Munster on loan, scoring three times in 10 appearances.
