Shin Yamada admits he simply must raise his standards ahead of his expected move to Celtic this summer.
Kawasaki Frontale’s Yamada has a rather questionable goal record having scored just 37 goals in 123 games across his club career so far.
Yet he has attracted Celtic’s attention, and looks set to complete a £1.5m move after Japan complete their ongoing EAFF E-1 Football Championship campaign.
Celtic fans are not impressed with the Yamada pursuit, and they definitely won’t like to hear what the 25-year-old has just said in a recent interview.
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Yamada’s concerning interview before Celtic move
The Scottish Sun report that Yamada will travel to Glasgow after Japan’s final game in the aforementioned competition next week against South Korea.
Yamada made his debut for Japan on Tuesday as his national team beat Hong Kong 6-1, with the forward playing the full second-half.
But he’s disappointed with how he played, and admits that on the whole, the 2025 season has been a poor one for him ahead of his expected switch to Celtic.
Yamada said via The Celtic Way: “I went into the game with the feeling that this was my chance to impress and although we won, I thought I could have done more.
“I think that going forward, when we compete in the World Cup, it will be against far more difficult opponents, so I need to keep that in mind as I work on my national team progress.
“I thought I might have been able to score a goal, but I think I learned a lot from this.
“On a personal note, I have to admit I have had a disappointing season. I set high standards for myself and I don’t think I met them if I am being honest.
“Yes, I enjoyed a very good season previously and scored a lot of goals, but for whatever reason it didn’t happen again this season.
“I think the team played in a different style and that made a difference, but I am fully aware I have to raise my standards.”
Yamada’s disappointing stats across 2025
Yamada is right to be down about his season performance so far, and you start to wonder why Celtic are pursuing the player.
He’s played 33 games for Kawasaki Frontale, but has netted just six times. Only two of those strikes have came in 20 J1 League appearances.
Yamada has started 12 league games this season, while the other eight were off the bench. So he’s not a regular starter at the club.
The last time Yamada scored in the league was on March 29 against FC Tokyo, as Kawasaki Frontale secured a 3-0 victory.
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