January recruit Tomoki Iwata has spoken to Celtic TV for the first time since securing his move to Glasgow from Yokohama F Marinos.
The 25-year-old became the third player to join Ange Postecoglou’s side, signing a long-term deal at Parkhead.
Iwata is a familiar name and face to the Celtic manager, who took charge of the midfielder during his time in the J-League.
The versatile midfielder was introduced for the first time to the Celtic support during Saturday’s 2-0 win over Kilmarnock at Celtic Park.
And this evening, the Parkhead faithful have been given more insight into Iwata after he conducted his first interview on the club’s official channel.
Speaking to Gerry McCulloch, Iwata spoke about what he can bring to Ange Postecoglou’s side as he prepares to join his new teammates at Lennoxtown.
The Japanese international also revealed that he has been watching the Bhoys from afar during his time in the J-League, thanks to his Celtic and Yokohama links to the Hoops boss and Daizen Maeda.
He said [Celtic TV]: “The team has been winning a lot of games and is in first place in the league so this is why I’m thinking how I can contribute to the team.
“I think my strong point is stealing the ball and my fitness and I think once I fit into the team, I can contribute to achieve more success.
“I think my strong point is also working hard and in terms of my playing style then dealing with balls under pressure and this is what I would like to express.
“I also played with the manager in Japan so I would like to show my play on the pitch and contribute to the team.”
He continued: “Yes, I’ve been following the Celtic games. Especially old highlights as well as checking the results.
“I was playing with Daizen Maeda at Yokohama F Marinos. So yeah, I was interested in the results of Celtic.”
Celtic supporters will soon get a glimpse of Iwata in the green and white, but some time is required.
As is the norm with any new signing, Celtic supporters will be excited to Tomoki Iwata in action for the Hoops for the first time.
And I am sure it won’t take long for Ange Postecoglou to introduce the man he used to manage with Yokohama to his matchday Celtic squad.
However, some time is required to allow Iwata to get back up to full match speed, with his last competitive fixture in Japan coming in early November.
The next few weeks will be an important timeframe for the midfielder as he aims to build up his fitness in time for his Celtic debut over the coming months.
I am certainly excited to see how Iwata fits into this squad, and he has an exciting profile which should help add quality to the midfield area.
In other news, “Borderline useless”: Celtic hero delivers quip about penalty struggles.
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