Tomoki Iwata

Tomoki Iwata
岩田 智輝

Iwata training with Celtic in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth	(1997-04-07) 7 April 1997 (age 28)
Place of birth	Usa, Ōita, Japan
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Birmingham City
Number	24
Youth career
	Yokkaichi Minami SSC
0000–2015	Oita Trinita
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2020	Oita Trinita	113	(7)
2021–2022	Yokohama F. Marinos	66	(2)
2023	→ Celtic (loan)	13	(0)
2023–2024	Celtic	19	(1)
2024–	Birmingham City	40	(6)
International career^‡
2015	Japan U18	5	(0)
2016	Japan U19	7	(0)
2017	Japan U23	3	(0)
2019–	Japan	4	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Japan EAFF Championship Winner 2022 Japan Team AFC U-19 Championship 2016 Bahrain
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:45, 3 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:03, 23 November 2024 (UTC)

Tomoki Iwata (岩田 智輝, Iwata Tomoki, born 7 April 1997) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for EFL League One club Birmingham City and the Japan national team.

Club career

Oita Trinita

Born in Ōita, Iwata began his youth career with Oita Trinita in 2015, before signing professionally the following year, in 2016.

Yokohama F. Marinos

In 2021, Iwata signed for J1 club, Yokohama F. Marinos. On 5 November 2022, he led the club to the 2022 J1 League title. Two days later, he was named among the Best XI of the season and also voted Player of the Year.

Celtic

On 30 December 2022, Iwata signed for Scottish Premiership side Celtic on an initial loan deal with a compulsory purchase clause.^[1][2] This has seen Iwata reunited with his former Yokohama manager, Ange Postecoglou. On 21 January 2023, Iwata made his debut for the club in a 5–0 win against Greenock Morton in the Scottish Cup.^[3]

Celtic confirmed in July 2023 that Iwata had signed for the club on a permanent basis.^[4]

Birmingham City

On 30 August 2024, Iwata signed a three-year contract with recently relegated EFL League One club Birmingham City, for an undisclosed fee.^[5]

International career

On 24 May 2019, Iwata was called up by Japan's head coach Hajime Moriyasu to feature in the Copa América played in Brazil.^[6] He made his debut on 20 June 2019 in the game against Uruguay, as a starter.^[7]

Career statistics

Club

As of end of 2024–25 season^[8][9]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup[a]		League cup[b]		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Oita Trinita	2015	J2 League	0	0	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
	2016	J3 League	24	1	1	0	—		—		—		25	1
	2017	J2 League	12	0	0	0	—		—		—		12	0
	2018	J2 League	20	0	1	1	—		—		—		21	1
	2019	J1 League	27	4	1	0	3	0	—		—		31	4
	2020	J1 League	30	2	0	0	0	0	—		—		30	2
	Total		113	7	4	1	3	0	—		—		120	8
Yokohama F. Marinos	2021	J1 League	34	0	1	0	7	1	—		—		42	1
	2022	J1 League	32	2	1	0	0	0	7[c]	0	—		40	2
	Total		66	2	2	0	7	1	7	0	0	0	82	3
Celtic (loan)	2022–23	Scottish Premiership	13	0	4	0	1	0	—		—		18	0
Celtic	2023–24	Scottish Premiership	19	1	2	0	0	0	3[d]	0	—		24	1
	Total		32	1	6	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	42	1
Birmingham City	2024–25[10]	League One	40	6	2	1	0	0	—		5[e]	1	47	8
Career total			251	16	14	2	11	1	10	0	5	1	291	20

1. Includes Emperor's Cup, Scottish Cup, FA Cup
2. Includes J.League Cup, Scottish League Cup, EFL Cup
3. Appearances in AFC Champions League
4. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
5. Appearances in EFL Trophy

International

As of match played 27 July 2022^[11]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Japan	2019	2	0
	2022	2	0
Total		4	0

Honours

Yokohama F. Marinos

• J1 League: 2022^[12]

Celtic

• Scottish Premiership: 2022–23^[13]2023–24^[14]
• Scottish Cup: 2022–23,^[15] 2023–24^[16]
• Scottish League Cup: 2022–23^[17]

Birmingham City

• EFL League One: 2024–25^[18]
• EFL Trophy runner-up: 2024–25^[19]

Japan

• EAFF Championship: 2022

Individual

• J.League MVP Award: 2022^[12]
• J.League Best XI: 2022^[12]
• EFL League One Team of the Season: 2024–25^[20]

References

1. "Celtic sign Japan midfielder Iwata". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
2. "Tomoki Iwata: Celtic sign Japanese player of the Year from Ange Postecoglou's former club Yokohama F Marinos". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
3. "Kyogo reaches 20 goals as Celtic sail past Morton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
4. @CelticFC (13 July 2023). "Following his initial six-month loan spell, Tomoki Iwata is now a full time Celt!" (Tweet). Retrieved 13 July 2023 – via Twitter.
5. "Blues sign Tomoki Iwata!". Bcfc.com. Birmingham City FC. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
6. "SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) Squad, Schedule - CONMEBOL Copa America Brazil 2019 (6/14–7/7)". JFA. 24 May 2019.
7. "Uruguay v Japan game report". CONMEBOL. 20 June 2019.
8. Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑ハンディ版 2018 (NSK MOOK)", 7 February 2018, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411529 (p. 189 out of 289)
9. Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "2016J1&J2&J3選手名鑑", 10 February 2016, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411338 (p. 251 out of 289)
10. "Games played by Tomoki Iwata in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
11. Tomoki Iwata at National-Football-Teams.com
12. "2022 Jリーグアウォーズ受賞者一覧". Football Channel. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
13. Watt, Martin (7 May 2023). "Heart of Midlothian 0–2 Celtic: Ange Postecoglou's side seal back-to-back titles". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
14. "Celtic crowned Scottish champions with game to spare". BBC Sport. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
15. Duncan, Thomas (3 June 2023). "Celtic 3–1 Inverness CT: Ange Postecoglou's side win Scottish Cup to claim treble". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
16. "Celtic leave it late to beat Rangers and win Scottish Cup". Reuters. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
17. Moffat, Colin (26 February 2023). "Kyogo strikes twice as Celtic beat Rangers in final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
18. "Birmingham win League One title after Wrexham draw". BBC Sport. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
    "Section Six: EFL Regulations". Handbook: 2024/25 EFL Regulations (PDF). English Football League. 2024. 38.2 p. 301. Retrieved 14 April 2025. To be eligible to receive a Championship, League One or Two winners medal, a player must have been named on the team sheet in at least 25% of the Club's league fixtures in that season.
    "Birmingham City FC: Squad: Statistics: 2024/2025". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
19. Long, Dan (13 April 2025). "Birmingham City 0–2 Peterborough United: Harley Mills scores stunning free-kick as Posh become first team ever to retain Vertu Trophy". Sky Sports. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
20. "See who made the EFL Team of the Season line-ups". EFL. 27 April 2025. Retrieved 28 April 2025.

External links

• Tomoki Iwata at J.League (archive) (in Japanese)
• Tomoki Iwata at National-Football-Teams.com
• Tomoki Iwata at Oita Trinita
• Tomoki Iwata on Twitter
• Tomoki Iwata on Instagram