OFFICIAL: Celtics sign Yokohama F. Marinos midfielder Tomoki Iwata

2022-12-31 16:01

OFFICIAL: Celtics sign Yokohama F. Marinos midfielder Tomoki Iwata


The Celtics announced Friday that they signed 25-year-old Japanese midfielder Tomoki Iwata from the Yokohama F. Marinos on a rent-to-buy deal.


Tomoki Iwata can play a variety of positions, including midfielder, centre-back and right-back. He has many outstanding performances in the 2022 season, so he finally won the Yokohama F. Marinos league championship and was also elected as the J-League Player of the Year.


The Celtics stated that Tomoki Iwata's lease will last for half a year, and there is a mandatory buyout clause worth 1 million euros.


Ange Postecoglou's statement

As head coach of the Celtics, Ange Postecoglou is delighted with the addition of Tomoki Iwata. He believes Tomoki Iwata will play a huge role on the defensive end.


"We are very happy to bring Tomoki to the Celtics, I believe he will become a player that the fans love," Postecoglou told the official media.


"He's versatile, he can defend in midfield, he's a footballer with responsibility and quality. For us, he's at a very good age. His career is now on the right track. , and he has accumulated a wealth of experience.”


"He's just come off a stellar season and he's definitely deserving of the J-League Player of the Year honor. We're confident he can also bring a high professional level to our team," concluded Postecoglou.


Speech by Tomoki Iwata

Coming to Scottish Premiership for the first time, Tomoki Iwata couldn't hide his joy. He told Celtic's official media: "I am very happy to join Celtic, a huge, successful and world-renowned club. I can't wait to start my journey with Celtic.


"I'm excited about everything about Celtic - the size of the club, the fans, the atmosphere, the style of football, and of course working with the manager and the players."