Tomoki Iwata has become the latest player to move from the Meiji Yasuda J1 League to Celtic FC, joining the Scottish giants from Yokohama F·Marinos.

The 25-year-old versatile defensive midfielder is coming off a sparkling 2022 campaign, winning J.League MVP honors as he led the Tricolor to the title.

It was a breakout campaign for Iwata, who is from Oita and played more than 100 matches for his hometown club Oita Trinita, before Ange Postecoglou signed him to play for Marinos in 2021.

Iwata blossomed in Yokohama, becoming a J.League star, while Postecoglou left to become Celtic boss and now he’s brought Iwata over to Scotland to play for him once again.

Postecoglou has made a habit of signing Japan’s best players at Celtic. He signed Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi from the J.League and now Iwata becomes the fifth Japanese player at Celtic Park in his tenure.

Iwata’s move is a loan with a compulsory buy option that will see his transfer become permanent.