Celtic fans were given a rare chance to watch Shin Yamada in action on Tuesday night as the Japanese striker started for the B Team in their KDM Trophy match against East Kilbride.
It was a game shown live on Premier Sports 1.
Many supporters tuned in to see the young Hoops take on Mick Kennedy’s East Kilbride, whose coaching staff includes Si Ferry and Scott Allan.
Despite flashes of promise from Yamada, who looked lively throughout and tried to carve out chances for himself and his teammates, Celtic slipped to a 2-0 defeat.
While he did lack that bit of quality, you can’t slag his attitude. There was no arrogance around him, despite being with the B team against League 2 opposition.
Earlier wins against Clyde and Kelty Hearts had put the young Celts in a strong position, and their six points from three games were just enough to secure qualification for the next round, finishing 21st in the 30-team table and ranking as the best-performing Premiership B side.
Following the conclusion of the six league phase matches, we advance to the knockout stages of the KDM Evolution Trophy 🏆#CelticFC🍀 https://t.co/O9EsaKKtm0
— Celtic FC B (@CelticFCB) November 11, 2025
For Yamada, it was a valuable outing. The forward has made four substitute appearances for the Celtic first team this season, including cameos at Ibrox and Tynecastle, but senior opportunities have been limited so far.
With Callum Osmand and Kelechi Iheanacho both sidelined through injury, there’s every chance the 25-year-old could feature more regularly in the coming weeks.
He was back on the first-team bench against Kilmarnock at the weekend and could again be involved when Celtic return from the international break.
It’s a crucial spell for Yamada to impress Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney and Tuesday night’s performance, while ending in defeat, will have given the striker some much-needed match sharpness ahead of a potentially busier run with the senior side.
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