Former Celtic midfielder explains why he left for Birmingham
The midfielder made a deadline-day switch to the League One side, where he thrived in his first season.
Iwata scored eight goals and was nominated for the League One Player of the Season award, helping Birmingham win the division.
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He has now opened up on why he left Celtic, admitting he did not know who manager Brendan Rodgers was.
He was quoted by Soccer Digest Web as saying: "Manager Rodgers was a famous coach in Scotland, but I didn't know of him at all.
"At first, I wondered, 'What kind of person is he?
"The team actually got going, and the football they were trying to play was interesting.
"But there were some areas where I wasn't able to fully showcase myself.
"It was partly because there was an absolute player in Callum McGregor in the same position, but honestly, I feel like I could have done more."
He also revealed that the lack of minutes played a big part in his decision to leave.
The 28-year-old said: "I wasn't impatient, but more than that, I couldn't help but feel the regret that I, a soccer player, wasn't playing in the games.
"At that time, I had a very strong desire to play soccer.
"Seeing my wife taking care of our children in a foreign country where I was not familiar with them, cooking meals and doing housework, I couldn't help but feel the emotion.
"Birmingham made me an offer as soon as the off-season began, and they patiently waited until August 31st, the final day for transfers.
"I thought to myself, 'If they feel that way about me, I want to go,' and immediately packed my bags and headed for my new home.
"I didn't have any negative feelings about it being in the third division, and my biggest motivation at the time was wanting to show my family that I was working hard.
"In addition, the manager, Chris Davies, had previously been a coach at Celtic and had recently been a coach under Ange at Tottenham.
"The two managers had heard about me and offered me the position with confidence that we could work together, so I was able to go with peace of mind."
Iwata will now play his football in the Championship with Birmingham City in the 2025/26 season.
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