Tomoki Iwata

I think he's a very good player tbh. Would be shocked if he isn't a success here. I can't remember much about Schlager to make a comparison but Iwata has a well rounded game and he's physical when required (a bit like how CCV knows when and how to use his physicality and doesn't just dive in for the sake of it).

Keeps the play neat and tidy but plays with his head up and always looking out for a forward pass or even a wee 1/2. Can play on the front foot which is something I felt Abildgaard didn't have in his locker.

Confident Ange has played a blinder here and think Calmac will finally have some real competition in the 6.

 

Aye mate, but still..

 

Can’t wait to see him smash * out of John Lundstrum.

 

The DM is a tough one to break through at here with McGregor playing every game. Don’t think Ideguchi and Abilgaard got much of a chance but they obviously weren’t trusted as when McGregor was injured O’Riley stepped in.

 

Just watched Daizen nut Capt Shitebag video.

 

New Bhoy, Tomoki Iwata spoke to the Scottish media for the first time today since arriving from Yokohama F Marinos, and he can’t wait to get started in the Hoops.

The defensive midfielder is looking to slot into the side as his fitness levels rise each day at Lennoxtown and after being introduced to the crowd at half-time in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Kilmarnock, as well as wearing his own No.24 shirt again today, he is champing at the bit to wear it for real on the pitch.

He said: “I’m really excited and really happy to wear this top, and I would like to play on the pitch as soon as possible.

“I think my strong points are stealing the ball and one v one, and this is what I would like to express and contribute in victories for the team.”

It’s a team he knows well, as he is now the sixth Japanese player on the books at Celtic Park, although he’s feeling right at home with the rest of the squad as well – and, of course, he previously worked under Ange Postecoglou at his last club.

The 25-year-old said: “I feel comfortable to be in this atmosphere. I think it will help me for a quick adjust, but I’m not only here for the Japanese players, there are local players and staff who have been helping me and receiving me very well, so now it depends on me how I will go.

“The manager told me that after having good results personally in Japan, he thought I was able to have a good performance here.

‘I just wanted to play for Celtic, so he didn’t have to convince me, and the first contact from Celtic was in the middle of December.’

“I would like to play as a No.6, I think the manager expects me to play there, but I also can play as a centre-half and at the end of the day, I will do anything that can help the team.

“But the important thing is to focus on the team, so no matter if I play the No.6 or centre-half, I will just play to contribute to the victory of the team.”




His versatility in midfield and defence isn’t the only aspect Iwata brings from his locker in Japan, his pedigree also stretches to winning the Player of the Year for the J League season just finished and he is looking forward joining Callum McGregor in the engine room of the champions.

He said: “Callum is a legend of Celtic and he’s a very good player, and even though I was in the off-season from the J League I have been in training.

“I just now need to improve my fitness and condition to the competition of this league and the manager will tell me the best moment to play.

'So I just need to focus on improving my condition to prepare as best I can and I would like to be involved in the game as soon as possible.'

“What I would aspire to firstly is to improve my level, so my first target is to have minutes to play in games.

“Ultimately, I want to contribute for the victory of the team, so I need to focus on each game and prepare well and contribute for everybody.”

The defensive midfielder already has four Japanese caps and he hopes to emulate former Yokohama F Marinos team-mate, Daizen Maeda by gaining further international appearances for Japan now that he is in the Hoops, but he knows full well it won’t be an automatic selection.

He said: “Just coming here doesn’t mean I can be picked for the national team, I need to first have opportunities to play, and have a good result.

“So, if I keep having good results, this is how I can get more opportunities to be in the national team squad.”

 

He comes across as very confident and focused, and determined to make an impact at Celtic.
No.6 is the position he revels in, so good cover and competition for McGregor now.
Looks like he has the build and physique to go with it.
This is an exciting signing.

 

For me Mcgregor is still the best number 8 in the league. Hopefully this signing will finally allow him to return to his natural position.
For me its O'Riley position in the team that Iwata is here to take

 

How Celtic's Tomoki Iwata found 'new version of himself' with intervention from Ange Postecoglou
The puddles that had formed in the car parks outside Parkhead underlined why Tomoki Iwata, Celtic’s latest Japanese signing, regards the Scottish weather as the biggest challenge since his move west.




But the goosebumps he revealed he felt while watching Celtic’s 2-0 win over Kilmarnock the previous Saturday were nothing to do with the inclement conditions and everything to do with the atmosphere. The midfielder stressed that it was very rare to experience such passion in Japanese football.

Seeing for himself how much emotion was stirred by a humdrum league fixture in January convinced Iwata he had made the right decision although, in truth, there was no decision to make when Ange Postecoglou made it clear he wished to sign the player for a second time.

The Greek-Australian brought Iwata to Yokohama F. Marinos months before he left the Japanese club to join Celtic in 2021. Postecoglou then made another significant intervention in the player's career by turning him from a defender into a “No 6” midfielder.


"I feel grateful," said Iwata, speaking through an interpreter, at a very dreich Celtic Park on Tuesday. "Thanks to him for picking me and playing me as a No 6 so I managed to find a new version of myself and another possibility for myself. I feel very grateful to him.


I would like to play as a No. 6 (at Celtic) but the most important thing is the victory of the team, that is independent from which position I play."

Iwata also hopes to deliver some Shunsuke Nakamura-style free-kicks. He has even been practicing with his left foot. Like many Japanese footballers, Iwata regards Nakamura, who only retired last year at the age of 44, as inspirational and he is why he first became aware of Celtic.


Of course, I knew about Celtic from the times since our legend, Shunsuke Nakamura, was playing for the club,” he said.

“Since I was little I have been aware of Celtic and watching games. So I have known about the club for a long time. Shunsuke is a player I would like to imitate. For example, with free kicks. I’m right footed but I try to kick with my left foot, too. He is my example to follow.

“I got to meet Shunsuke in a game,” he added. “He is a really good player in terms of his touch on the ball. He is someone who always tries to make a difference in games with the ball at his feet. I think he was also an example to follow in terms of making young Japanese players believe they could come to Europe and play in the Champions League.”


But first Iwata knows he needs to establish himself at domestic level – and the likelihood of that seems high. Postecoglou is clearly a big fan of the 25-year-old, who hopes the move to Scotland can bolster his international ambitions. Absent from the Japan squad for the recent World Cup, he has four caps to date.

Iwata is also keen to improve his grasp of English, which is already good enough to handle addressing over 50,000 people from the pitch at half time on Saturday. He was blown away by his first experience of Celtic Park. “I got goosebumps,” he said. “I was really surprised by the atmosphere, which you cannot experience in Japan. To play in that atmosphere will be the greatest thing. I would like to play on that pitch as soon as possible.”


















Tomoki Iwata is dreaming of following in the footsteps of his idol Shunsuke Nakumara as soon as he’s fit enough to play for the fans who have already given him goosebumps.

Celtic ’s latest signing was knocked out by the reception he received at half time on Saturday as he was paraded in front of a full-house in their 2-0 win over Kilmarnock but admits he won’t be ready to face the same opposition at Hampden in this weekend’s Viaplay Cup semi final. But as the club’s deal-brokers were reportedly in London trying to thrash out a £3m agreement with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors technical director Ji-Sung Park for South Korea’s World Cup striker Cho Gue-Sung, Japan international Iwata is already in the building and desperate to get started.

The midfielder admitted, however, that having been out of action since the end of the J-League season in November, he’ll have to be patient. Iwata said: “I think I will need more time. I got goosebumps on Saturday. I was really surprised by the atmosphere, which you cannot experience in Japan.

“To play in that atmosphere will be the greatest thing. I would like to play on that pitch as soon as possible. I want to have my perfect form soon, and of course, we do not have time to waste. I would like to improve my condition as soon as possible and show my fitness to everybody.”

The 25-year-old, signed initially on loan from boss Ange Postecoglou ’s former club Yokohama Marinos, admitted he was aware of Celtic long before countrymen Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda’s whirlwind introduction to Scottish football. He added: “Of course, I knew about Celtic from the times since our legend, Shunsuke Nakamura, was playing for the club.

“Since I was little I have been aware of Celtic and watching games. So I have known about the club for a long time. Shunsuke is a player I would like to imitate. For example, with free kicks.

"I’m right-footed but I try to kick with my left foot, too. He is my example to follow. He was a really good player in terms of his touch on the ball.

"He was someone who always tries to make a difference in games with the ball at his feet. I think he was also an example to follow in terms of making young Japanese players believe they could come to Europe and play in the Champions League.”

 

Can't wait to see him play. Ange seems delighted to have signed him, and everything I've read/watched points towards him being a very good addition.

A more defensive minded Hatate pls

 

Soro and Kouassi are only ones on that list that really cost a fee and it wasn’t ange that bought them


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I know I was highlighting how hard we've found it to find a player in that position over the years. It's been about 7 years we've been needing it.

Not one of they players has contributed anything, while picking up wages and signing on fees.
McCarthy deal is bonkers, he could be here for another 2.5 years as a high earner.

Poor recruitment contributed to running Scott Brown into the ground and not having an adequate replacement in his later years. He had ran out of steam by the covid season.

We even brought in Ajer as a dcm and never even tried him in that position.

 

wonder when these new bhoys are gonna get a run out

 

Not a had a good defensive enforcer in there since Wanyama. I was constantly shouting out for Ajer to be used in the CDM role he would been perfect in there especially with his ability to drive with the ball. Such a waste at CB imo

 

Tomoki is staying at my house tonight, I've had his fireman Sam pyjamas on the heater so they're nice and warm now he's put them on before going to bed soon after I make him some poached eggs and toast and a mug of bovril.

 

Hope he comes in with fire in the belly and wants to make a solid statement