Tomoki Iwata had no idea who Brendan Rodgers was when he was re-appointed as Celtic manager after Ange Postecoglou left for Tottenham after completing a treble against Inverness Caley Thistle in the Scottish Cup Final at the beginning of June 2023.
The defensive midfielder was given limited game-time under both managers and eventually opted for a move to English League One side Birmingham City on transfer deadline day last summer. Even then there was a strong Celtic connection as the club was under new management with Chris Davies coming in as the new gaffer after a season working as a coach at Tottenham with Postecoglou and before that having a long term association as assistant manager to Brendan Rodgers at Celtic – first time around – and subsequently at Leicester City where successes included an Invincible Treble north of the border and an FA Cup win in England.
Iwata felt he had to get more game-time and had no hesitation in heading to Birmingham where a title was won an Iwata was the star man in the side that is now back in the Championship with the two former Celts dreaming of back-to-back promotions to sample the Premier League in the season after next.
“Manager Rodgers was a famous coach in Scotland, but I didn’t know of him at all. At first, I wondered, ‘What kind of person is he?,” Tomoki Iwata said as reported by Soccer Digest Web.
“The team actually got going, and the football they were trying to play was interesting. But there were some areas where I wasn’t able to fully showcase myself.
“It was partly because there was an absolute player in Callum McGregor in the same position, but honestly, I feel like I could have done more.”
He also revealed that the lack of minutes played a big part in his decision to leave.
The 28-year-old said: “I wasn’t impatient, but more than that, I couldn’t help but feel the regret that I, a soccer player, wasn’t playing in the games. At that time, I had a very strong desire to play soccer. Seeing my wife taking care of our children in a foreign country where I was not familiar with them, cooking meals and doing housework, I couldn’t help but feel the emotion.
“Birmingham made me an offer as soon as the off-season began, and they patiently waited until August 31st, the final day for transfers. I thought to myself, ‘If they feel that way about me, I want to go,’ and immediately packed my bags and headed for my new home.
“I didn’t have any negative feelings about it being in the third division, and my biggest motivation at the time was wanting to show my family that I was working hard.
“In addition, the manager, Chris Davies, had previously been a coach at Celtic and had recently been a coach under Ange at Tottenham. The two managers had heard about me and offered me the position with confidence that we could work together, so I was able to go with peace of mind.”
Iwata was a popular player at Celtic but with Callum McGregor playing in the number six role it was always going to be a challenge to get a regular start. Don’t be surprised if the Japanese midfielder is the subject of transfer interest in the summer window with a move upwards in England a real possibility for a player who had an outstanding campaign for Birmingham City in League One.
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