New Celtic signing Tomoki Iwata relishing first taste of Parkhead atmosphere after half-time unveiling

The versatile 25-year-old arrives from Yokohama F.Marinos after being crowned as J-League Player of the Year.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Tomoki Iwata admits he is relishing his first taste of playing in front of a capacity 60,000 crowd at Celtic Park after being unveiled to supporters at half-time during Saturday’s 2-0 Premiership win over Kilmarnock.

The 25-year-old J-League Player of the Year, who will wear the number 24 shirt, jetted into Glasgow airport last week after agreeing an initial loan move from Yokhama F. Marinos, with a compulsory purchase clause included in the deal to ensure he will join on a permanent basis this summer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Iwata, who can play in a variety of midfield or defensive positions, will sign a long-term contract with the Scottish champions at the end of the season and becomes the sixth Japanese player to arrive in Glasgow’s East End under Ange Postecoglou’s reign.

Addressing the crowd in English on Saturday, Iwata delivered his own personal message. He said: “Hello everyone! I’m very happy with joining great club Celtic. I’m looking forward to playing here at Celtic Park in front of great fans! See you soon! Hail Hail!!!”

He told the club’s website: “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.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Postecoglou believes Iwata will get fans off their seats and is adamant Celtic will benefit from his versatility. He commented: “We are really pleased 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.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.