Celtic midfielder Tomoki Iwata seemed like he was nailing down a place in the team before injury struck him against Feyenoord in the Champions League. Just under 20 minutes into the clash, the Japan international had to be withdrawn and hasn’t been seen since.
His absence has allowed Paulo Bernardo to emerge as a key asset for Brendan Rodgers and co, but Iwata’s presence has been missed nonetheless.
Despite remaining out of action, the player has been active on Instagram. On Thursday morning, he made a post for the New Year:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1rGvQ4LbO_/?igsh=cGx4MG5qbDBoMHVu
The image, although in Japanese, reads, in English: “Be better than I was yesterday in order to be stronger. Keep improving. Never stop. Break through”.
It remains to be seen how much longer the 26-year-old will be out for, but he seems eager to continually improve in 2024 regardless. It may be difficult for the former Yokohama F. Marinos man to break into the Celtic team given the level of competition, but he will give it his best shot.
The likes of Matt O’Riley, Callum McGregor, and Bernardo are ahead of him in the pecking order currently, but Reo Hatate’s Asian Cup absence could provide Iwata with hope when he comes back from his injury.
He offers a different dynamic to what his fellow midfielders do, which does entice Rodgers. Whether the Irishman provides him with more opportunities remains to be seen.
