Celtic fans say the same thing about Tomoki Iwata after Player of the Season nomination at Birmingham City

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Tomoki Iwata is enjoying life away from Celtic at Birmingham City.

Despite playing for a club the size of Celtic, winning trophies galore, and playing in the Champions League, Iwata still made the brave call to leave the club in the summer.

The 28-year-old joined Birmingham City in League One, after their relegation from the Championship, and they have since earned promotion back to England’s second-tier, with games to spare.

After spending millions and millions, including a League One record of more than £15 million for Jay Stansfield from Fulham – more than Celtic’s club-record transfer, Arne Engels – they were always bound to perform and secure promotion.

However, Iwata didn’t just move to England’s second city to be part of the furniture, but to play a key role in their title-winning campaign.

As a result of it, Iwata has been nominated for League One Player of the Season – a three-man shortlist, alongside top-scorer from Wycombe Richard Kone and Barnsley’s Davis Keillor-Dunn.

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Celtic fans react to Tomoki Iwata’s League One Player of the Season nomination at Birmingham City

Celtic brought in two midfielders when Iwata left – Engels and Luke McCowan, along with Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor, who are regular starters.

The name of McGregor was mentioned quite a bit by the Celtic Park faithful, and how Iwata was never going to play in front of him.

Added to that, many supporters agree that the Japan star, who joined Celtic in 2023, has found his level at Birmingham, as he wasn’t good enough to cut it at the level of a Champions League team.

@socbhoy was straight to the point: ‘Shows the standard of the English championship, he was very average for Celtic’.

@CELTlC67 thinks Iwata is right at home: ‘Found his level then.’

@DMcQ61 thinks Iwata wouldn’t get into Celtic’s side now: ‘Doing well in the third tier of English football. still wouldn’t get a place in the current Celtic squad. Pleased he’s enjoying his football’.

@rw47cfc with a brilliant response: ‘Mad what can happen when you leave a champions league team and move to league one’.

@gindog20 continued that theme: ‘He has certainly found his level, never made the grade in a Celtic jersey’.

@Aidannn02 on the state of League One: ‘Pub league’.

@RussellBoyce1 on Iwata’s career path: ‘Awesome in J League and League 1… When at a big club he was an irrelevant squad player who offered eff all in 2 years. Never close to making our starting XI a better one and wouldn’t now either.’

@JPGall isn’t having any of it: ‘Here we go with the shouldn’t have let him go brigade’.

@RabCorbett2 thinks Iwata never stood a chance at Celtic: ‘Callum McGregor will be replaced eventually. And it might be sooner than some expect. However when Iwata was at Celtic , the CDM , No.6 role has been McGregor’s for a good number of years. Sadly Iwata never stood a chance really. I’m glad he has went on to post a good season’.

Iwata’s stats at Celtic compared to Birmingham

Birmingham, albeit in England’s third-tier, are as dominant as Celtic are in the Premiership, so in that sense, Iwata has been used to dominating possession and teams sitting back.

But there is a huge difference in pressure and the level of quality Celtic have to face, especially in the Champions League.

Perhaps, this was a move that suited all parties, as the soon-to-be Championship player has already scored more goals at Birmingham than he did in the colours of Celtic, including Iwata’s stunning FA Cup goal.