TOMOKI IWATA has had a fine season for Birmingham City who comfortably won English League One ahead of Wrexham.
However, he failed to set the world alight when he was plying his trade for Celtic, moving south after just 18-months.
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The Japanese was brought in by ex-boss Ange Postecoglu from the Aussie’s old club, Yokohama F. Marinos, in 2023, originally on-loan.
When his move was made permanent, Postecoglu had departed for Spurs, with Celtic then under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers.
But Iwata admits he hadn’t even heard of the Northern Irishman when he took over at Parkhead.
He told Japanese outlet Soccer Digest Web: “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?’ The team actually got going and the football they were trying to play was interesting.”
The midfielder felt he had so much to offer the Hoops, but didn’t get the chance under Rodgers.
He said: “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.”
“For players in the front line, the numbers are clear, but my strengths are my one-on-one strengths and my ability to steal the ball.
“At Celtic, it’s difficult to show that. The teams that are overwhelmingly strong in Scotland always have the ball and take the lead.
“I would take it positively that I was able to concentrate on the offensive side, but I can’t show my strengths much and I don’t get many playing time”.
The former J-League MVP knew he had to leave Celtic to show what he can do.
Iwata said: “The level of the Scottish first division is a little lower than the top five European leagues, so I often felt that it was a difficult environment for me.
“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.
Interest in the Japanese began to grow after his first full season in Hoops, and he was determined to get his move, saying: “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”.
There was still a Celtic connection at his new club in the English third tier which he knew about: “In addition, the manager, Chris Davies, had previously been a coach at Celtic and had recently been a coach under Ange at Tottenham.
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“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.”
The midfielder racked up 47 games for Birmingham in his first season, scoring eight goals.
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