With a lot made of Shin Yamada’s stats for Kawasaki Frontale this season, just two goals in 21 league games compared to 19 in 38 last season, one stat from the forward has stood out.

His top speed this year ranks second in the J1 League at 35.4 km/h. Incredibly, that edges Daizen Maeda’s title-winning burst from 2021 with Yokohama F. Marinos, clocked at 35.0.

While Maeda has since gone quicker, hitting 35.6 in last season’s Champions League, Yamada’s numbers show he’s operating at a similar level of raw pace. That’s no small feat.

As expected, Yamada fits a familiar profile. He’s cut from the same cloth as Maeda and Kyogo. These are high-intensity forwards who never stop running.

Maeda’s top speed figures in the season just before he came to Celtic, in 2021, when he won the top scorer title.
（I don’t mean to imply that Yamada is a faster player than Maeda at all. Maeda in the CL was 35.6）https://t.co/g0XzEaIHdH pic.twitter.com/WTQP17m3w4

— 🍀🇯🇵Naru📽️Japanese Bhoy Studios🎨 (@CelticStudio_JP) July 17, 2025

But the 25-year-old brings something a bit different too. While his speed and pressing ability align him with his compatriots, he’s also known for his physical strength. He can hold the ball up, bring others into play, and is a threat in the air.

Despite arriving for a modest fee of around £1.5 million, Yamada isn’t coming to make up the numbers. Some may have dismissed the signing given his recent goal return, but Celtic clearly believe there’s more to come. He’s got the tools to make an immediate impact in Scotland. There’s already talk in Japan of him linking up with Maeda up front at next summer’s World Cup.

There’s confidence there, and ambition too. Yamada has spoken about his desire to not only make Japan’s squad but to win the tournament.

That kind of mentality has been missing at times in recent Celtic squads. If his feet match his words, Celtic may well have unearthed another gem.