Celtic Want To “Reverse The Deal” Of Their Star To Birmingham City But Ace Making It At Blues Has Only The…

Ace Celtic sold to Birmingham City named best in league, pundit purrs over man making Blues a ‘formidable’ foe

He was signed by Ange Postecoglou in his Celtic era but is now thriving at Birmingham City

A pundit has gone raving over the signing Birmingham City have made from Celtic this season that has turned them into a side few fancy their chances against.

In the Ange Postecoglou era, Celtic signed many players from the far-east who have made big impacts in Hoops. Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Kyogo have all shone and while he was not a regular starter, some wondered what could have been when Tomoki Iwata headed for England in the summer transfer window.

He had spent the last 18 months at Celtic after arriving from the J League but is now ripping it up for Birmingham City, who look destined to get out of League One and into the Championship. David Prutton, who starred for the likes of Nottingham Forest and Leeds United, watches over the division carefully and insists the former Celtic man is the best player right now.

Former Celtic man’s rave review

He told Football League World: “League One’s best player at the moment (is) Tomoki Iwata.

“I think what he has managed to bring to a midfield, and a team that has obviously been built to blast their way out of League One straight back into the Championship, is a real discipline at the heart of where, I’d like to think as a former journeyman midfielder, all the important work goes on.

“(He is) that type of teammate, the stereotypical ‘covers every blade of grass,’ and is doing a lot of work which helps the team tick along and makes them formidable in the middle of the pitch. The athleticism that he shows, the ability to deliver under pressure and expectation, which is absolutely what each of every Birmingham City player is having to do at St. Andrew’s, and of course on the road.

“They will be big draws wherever they go in the division, which means that his impetus in the side, his discipline and marshaling in the middle of the pitch does make him a standout.

Iwata is part of a Birmingham side that is doing wonderful work under heavy expectation. Just because a team spends money and has those expectations, doesn’t mean they always perform. They have quite clearly shown they can handle that, and Iwata has been a wonderful example of it at this moment in time.”

Former Celtic coach and Birmingham City boss Chris Dvavies is full of praise for the Japanese star. Davies told Blues TV in November after Iwata scored vs Exeter City: “He’s dangerous and he has good technique. Obviously, we have seen it on both feet and he keeps it down and puts good power and accuracy on it, arriving on the edge of the box he’s a goalscorer.

“It’s excellent for Tomoki, but the main thing with that is that it was the positions we were all in – the team were in – and it allowed him to arrive and score. Excellent from his point of view; another goal.”