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Fullname: Iwata Tomoki (*see notes, Tomoki is his first name)
aka: Tomoki Iwata
Born: 7 April 1997
Birthplace: Usa, Oita, Japan
Signed (loan): 30 Dec 2022 (loan with compulsory perm conversion in summer est £1m from Yokohama F Marinos)
Signed (Perm): 13 Jul 2023 (converted to perm from loan)
Left: –
Position: Central Midfielder
Debut: 2023-01-21: Celtic 5-0 Morton, Scottish Cup
Squad No.: 24
Internationals: Japan
International Caps: [TBC at end of career]
International Goals: [TBC at end of career]
Biog
Joined as the current J-League Player of the Year, Japanese international Tomoki Iwata was expected to replace fellow countryman Ideguchi, whose transfer to Celtic had not worked out. He had to be patient, but once given his first start, he demonstrated his talent with an assured performance in a 2-0 away win at Ross County in the league (April 2023).
From then on it was clear that Celtic had a decent work in progress player. He had the backing of the manager, who gave him time to develop in the side, but admittedly he did take time to find his feet in the game. An industrious player, he had a good work ethic on the field, with a good ability to find a pass or begin an attacking move. He played well in midfield but slotted into central defence alongside Starfelt once when Carter Vickers was out injured.
There were though concerns on physical side of the game and if he was adding anything new to a squad that already was heavy in quality in the midfield.
Brendan Rodgers era
[….]
Quotes
With Celtic having signed Japanese player of the year, Tomoki Iwata, there are reports that Rangers fans are very keen on his brother Lav.”
Celtic Underground humouring the Sevco support after they resorted to drinking toilet water during the UEFA Cup final 2022 (seriously!) (Dec 2022)
“[Midfield is] one of the areas I want to improve in the team. What we have is, we’ve David, whose strengths – with the greatest of respects – are to play against low blocks when we’re trying to nick a goal. Getting around the pitch is maybe not a strength. When you go into Champions League games you need that ability to run. So, then Paolo has played in those games. It’s finding that sort of complete package, really. Callum has played in that deeper role for a few years but [moving him forward] is something I’ve thought about. Tomo would’ve played in Lazio if he was available, but sadly he missed out [through not being on the UEFA squad list].”
Rodgers (Dec 2023)
Playing Career
[Table to indicate clubs played for, including dates, transfers and fees where known [e.g. soccerbase table]]
| APPEARANCES (subs) |
LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2022-23 | |||||
| Goals | |||||
| 2023-24 | |||||
| Goals | |||||
| Goals | |||||
| Goals | |||||
| Total | |||||
| Goals |
Honours with Celtic
(Honours are marked below in which the player has played in at least one of the matches in the campaign.)
Scottish League
- […]
Scottish Cup
- […]
Scottish League Cup
- […]
Pictures
Forums
Articles
Links
Notes
- In the Far East, the standard is that the surname comes first, therefore you will often see in reports his name as “Iwata Tomoki” whereas in European publications it will be written as Tomoki Iwata
Articles
Yahoo article Dec 2023
Former Japan representative DF Tomoki Iwata [25], who won the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in J1 this season, will transfer to Celtic in the Scottish Premier League in January next year. It is a rental transfer with the option of a complete transfer, and the transfer fee is estimated at 1 million dollars (about 133 million yen). According to officials, he has already obtained a UK work permit and will be officially signed after a medical check on site.
Iwata, who grew up in the lower organization of Oita, has his talent blossomed at once in Yokohama, where he joined in 2001. In addition to his main position as a defensive midfielder, he has also been appointed as a full-back and center-back, demonstrating his versatility. This season, he contributed greatly to the team’s fifth league title in three years, and was selected as the MVP, the first J3 graduate and the fourth defender. He has grown into a player who represents the J League both in name and reality.
Celtic’s coach Postecoglou, who led Yokohama to League V in 2019, also highly praises Iwata’s ability. He said he desperately wanted it. The team consists of 4 players, Japanese representative FW Maeda who participated in the World Cup Qatar tournament, FW Furuhashi, MF Hatate, and MF Ideguchi. From next January, Kobe DF Kobayashi and Iwata will also join, and the possibility of forming a Japanese sextet (a group of six) has surfaced.
◇ Tomoki Iwata Born on April 7, 1997 (Heisei 9), 25 years old from Oita prefecture. He was promoted to the top team in 2016 from the Oita junior organization and contributed to the promotion from J3 to J2 and J1. He moved to Yokohama in 2001 and contributed to the league championship this season as MVP and best eleven. His Japanese national team was selected for the first time at the South American Championship in June 2019, and made his debut against Uruguay on the 21st. He also competed in the E-1 Championship this summer. Scored 0 goals in 4 international A matches. 1 meter 78, 77 km. His dominant foot is right.
Celtic secure Tomoki Iwata signing as Ange Postecoglou hails capture of ‘player our fans will like’
Celtic have completed the signing of Japanese international Tomoki Iwata.
Matthew Elder
By Matthew Elder
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/celtic-secure-tomoki-iwata-signing-as-ange-postecoglou-hails-capture-of-player-our-fans-will-like-3969679
The 25-year-old will arrive on an initial loan move from Yokohama F Marinos until the end of the season with a compulsory purchase clause meaning will be complete a permanent transfer in the summer on a long-term deal.
He becomes Celtic’s third signing ahead of the January transfer window officially opening following on from the captures of centre-back Yuki Kobayashi from Vissel Kobe and right-back Alistair Johnston from CF Montreal.
Iwata, who can operate in both midfield and defence, was named the J League Player of the Year last month after helping his side lift the league title and has four caps for Japan, although he was left out of their World Cup squad.
New Celtic signing Tomoki Iwata in action for Yokohama F Marinos earlier
It is the second time Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has signed the player having also taken him to Yokohama in January 2021 prior to taking over the reins at Parkhead later.
Postecoglou said: “We really are delighted to be bringing Tomoki to Celtic and I am sure he will be a player that our supporters will like.
“He is a versatile player who can operate in defence in midfield, a really committed footballer with some great attributes. He is at a great age for us where his career is on the right trajectory, but he already has a good level of experience.
“He has just had a brilliant season, he is very deserving of the accolade he has recently received as Japan’s Player of the Year and we are sure he can also bring this real high level of quality to our squad.”
Iwata will become the sixth Japanese player at Parkhead alongside Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and fellow new recruit Kobayashi.
“I really am delighted to be joining Celtic, such a huge and successful club known across the world,” Iwata said. “I can’t wait to begin my journey with Celtic.
‘Everything about Celtic excites me – the scale of the club, the supporters, the atmosphere, the style of football which the club is famous for and of course working with the manager and players.
“I am really looking forward to getting started, to meet my new team-mates and begin working on bringing our fans more and more success.”
Tomoki Iwata: I can’t wait to experience Celtic Park as a player
By Ryan Maher
Tomoki Iwata had his first experience of what his new life will be like as a Celtic player on Saturday, as the J-League Player of the Year for the 2023 season stepped out on to the Celtic Park at half-time of the 2-0 win over Kilmarnock.
Joining from Yokohama F Marinos where he played alongside Daizen Maeda and was managed by Ange Postecoglou, Iwata arrives in Glasgow as a league winner this year and he can’t wait to get started and win with Celtic.
Speaking to Celtic TV, he said: “I’m really honoured and I’m really happy to be at a great club such as Celtic and I’m just excited.
“I was really excited (to be on the pitch) and I felt the passion of the supporters.
‘Compared with Japan, the supporters are very passionate and I’m really looking forward to playing on that pitch with fans.’
“I have been following the Celtic games, especially old highlights as well as checking the results.
“I was playing with Daizen at Marinos, so yeah, I was interested in the results of Celtic.”
On signing for the club, Ange Postecoglou highlighted the 25-year-old’s ability to play in a number of positions, primarily in the middle of midfield and defence.
Talking about what he can bring to the football club and how he can impact the starting XI, Iwata said: “The team has been winning a lot of games and is in first place in the league so this is why I’m thinking how I can contribute to the team.
“I think my strong point is stealing the ball and my fitness and I think once I fit into the team I can contribute to achieve more success.
“I think my strong point is also working hard and in terms of my playing style then dealing with balls under pressure and this is what I would like to express.
“I also played with the manager in Japan so I would like to show my play on the pitch and contribute to the team.”
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou lavished praise on full debutant Tomoki Iwata as he reflected on his side moving a step closer to retaining their Premiership crown with a 2-0 success against Ross County in Dingwall.
Andrew Smith
By Andrew Smith
Published 2nd Apr 2023, 15:42 BST
The Japanese holding midfielder was handed his first start following his January move from Yokahama F Marinos and the Australian considered that the 25-year-old’s assured display on what he regarded as an unhelpful pitch set him apart from any of those in the visiting ranks. “He was great,” the Celtic manager said. “He was the one who looked most sure-footed in terms of the pitch and the handling of the ball. He’s so clean technically. He really helped us considering it was his first 90 minutes after three months. He finished strongly at the end. I was really pleased I got him out and he showed his qualities out there.”
Postecoglou is confident Iwata will “get the benefit” of being deliberately eased in – the player only had 124 minutes under his belt before his full 90 in Dingwall – through learning from the experiences of Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate previously. Fellow transfer window arrivals Oh Hyeon-gyu and Yuki Kobayashi finding themselves in a similar position.
“Last year we found, after they [Maeda and Hatate] were thrown in quite early, they started strongly but fatigued towards the end of the season,” Postecoglou said. “[In coming to Scotland in January from the J-League and K-League] they come off a full season, so it’s a different feel for them at this stage of the season. So my inkling, if it worked out, was to have the three of them embedded slowly and give them opportunities along the way. The hope is in the last bit of the season they will be really strong. We will see the best of them after they’ve had a pre-season but after looking at it today, he [Iwata] looked really strong.”