Tomoki Iwata was born in Japan on 7 April 1997, making him currently 28 years of age. Utilising his skills as a midfielder, Iwata is now a prominent asset for Birmingham City FC, where he primarily performs as a central defensive midfielder. Standing at 5ft 10in tall (1.78m) and weighting in at 12st 1lb (77kg), the number 24 jersey is worn with pride. Transfermarkt suggests his market value to be about £1.6m.
It all started in January 2015, when young Iwata boarded the football ship of Oita Trinita in Japan's J2 League. His debut season (2017) saw him secure a spot in the first team nine times, a number that increased to 30 appearances by 2020, during his time he scored a total of six goals.
The turn of the decade saw a move from Oita Trinita to Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan's acclaimed J1 League, a transfer that sustained an undisclosed fee. Iwata's two seasons (2021-2022) at Yokohama were well spent as he notched up two goals over 66 first team league appearances.
Then came along January 2023, when Celtic from the Premiership in Scotland secured Iwata on loan. Come July 2023, the loan was converted into a full transfer, again for an undisclosed fee. Iwata's tenure at Celtic was a favourable one. Over two seasons - 2022 to 2024 - Tomoki made 32 league appearances and contributed by scoring a goal. This period was an exciting time for Iwata and for Celtic as a whole.
However, drifting tides of football brought him to Birmingham City in the Championship in England. The transfer took place in August 2024, with an accompanying tag of around £830k. The current season of 2025 - 2026 sees Iwata settling into his new club, having already made six first team appearances. His experience has also been utilised in the FA Cup (24 - 25) where he scored one goal, and the League Cup (25 - 26) where he made a start.
Besides these appearances, Iwata remains a critical part of Birmingham's squad, bringing a wealth of experience from Japanese football and his time at Celtic.
