Preussen Munster Chief Defends Loan Signing of Struggling Celtic Forward Shin Yamada
Preussen Munster sporting director Jan Uphues has publicly defended the loan signing of Celtic forward Shin Yamada. The Japanese striker has endured a difficult spell in Germany and was completely dropped from the matchday squad for the club’s last three fixtures.
Celtic initially spent £1.5 million to bring Yamada to Scotland from Kawasaki Frontale during the summer transfer window. He was the only striker the club paid a transfer fee for ahead of the season. His time in Glasgow quickly turned sour after he failed to find the back of the net in 11 appearances. Celtic management subsequently sent him on loan to the Bundesliga 2 side at the end of January to gain more experience.
Things have not improved for the forward since his arrival in Germany. Preussen Munster currently sits at the bottom of the league table, and Yamada has struggled to make an impact. He has been given just one starting opportunity, which ended with him being substituted at the break. His other contributions amount to exactly 60 minutes spread across four appearances off the bench.
Despite his recent omission from the team sheet, Uphues maintains that securing the player was a necessary move. The sports director explained that the team was dealing with a severe injury crisis when they finalized the loan deal.
“We had to act back then because we had a lot of injuries,” Uphues stated.
He went on to explain that the return of healthy players has simply increased competition within the ranks. While acknowledging that Yamada has missed out on desired playing time recently, Uphues remains optimistic about the player’s immediate future. He expressed total confidence that the Celtic loanee will be given another opportunity on the pitch during the final five games of the German season.