Tomoki Iwata, born on 7 April 1997 in Japan, is a 27-year-old central defensive midfielder currently plying his trade at Birmingham City. Sporting the number 24 jersey, Iwata stands at 5ft 10in (1.78m) and weighs a solid 12st 1lb (77kg).
Iwata's current market value hovers around the £1m mark, according to Transfermarkt. He is under contract with Birmingham City until 30 June 2027, giving him just under three years remaining.
Iwata's professional career began at Oita Trinita in the J2 League in Japan in January 2015. His initial season in 2017 saw him make nine first-team appearance. Over the subsequent seasons, Iwata's performances improved gradually, making 27 and 30 first team appearances and netting four and two goals in the 2019 and 2020 seasons respectively.
In 2021, Iwata transferred to Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League. Again, he demonstrated consistent performance throughout his tenure, culminating in 34 appearances in his first season and 32 in the following season, scoring twice.
January 2023 saw Iwata's venture to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership on loan. That very season, Iwata made 13 appearances in first-team league matches, a promising start that was followed by 19 appearances and his first Celtic goal in the succeeding 2023-2024 season.
Following his successful loan spell, Iwata transferred permanently from Yokohama to Celtic in July 2023 for an undisclosed fee. His Celtic journey continued with repeated appearances and another goal for the 2023 - 2024 season.
Iwata bid farewell to Celtic in August 2024, transitioning from the Scottish Premiership to Birmingham City in England's League One for a transfer fee of approximately £830k. In the current 2024 - 2025 season at Birmingham, Iwata has already made two first-team appearances and found the back of the net twice.
Notably, Iwata also participated in the EFL Trophy 2024 - 2025 for Birmingham City, where he started one match.
Looking back on Iwata's Celtic career, it was clear that the Japanese midfielder left a favourable impression. Although his stay was relatively brief spanning over two seasons, he consistently featured in the first-team with reliable performances. He also managed to etch his name onto the scoresheets, a feat that holds special value for a defensive midfielder. His subsequent move to Birmingham City saw a continuation of this trend, indicating the valuable role he has played throughout his career.
