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Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
‘I feel like I could have done more' – Tomoki Iwata opens up on his Celtic struggles as he reveals why he had to leave
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TOMOKI IWATA has had a fine season for Birmingham City who comfortably won English League One ahead of Wrexham. However, he failed to set the world alight when he was plying his trade for Celtic, moving south after just 18-months. 3 Game time at Celtic was sparce for Tomoki Iwata Credit: Kenny Ramsay 3 It was clear Hoops' boss Brendan Rodgers didn't fancy the midfielder Credit: Reuters 3 He has had a great first season since moving to Birmingham City Credit: Getty The Japanese was brought in by ex-boss Ange Postecoglu from the Aussie's old club, Yokohama F. Marinos, in 2023, originally on-loan. When his move was made permanent, Postecoglu had departed for Spurs, with Celtic then under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers. But Iwata admits he hadn't even heard of the Northern Irishman when he took over at Parkhead. He told Japanese outlet Soccer Digest Web: "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." The midfielder felt he had so much to offer the Hoops, but didn't get the chance under Rodgers. He said: "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." "For players in the front line, the numbers are clear, but my strengths are my one-on-one strengths and my ability to steal the ball. "At Celtic, it's difficult to show that. The teams that are overwhelmingly strong in Scotland always have the ball and take the lead. "I would take it positively that I was able to concentrate on the offensive side, but I can't show my strengths much and I don't get many playing time". Celtic fans would never let their club die says Hoops hero Peter Grant The former J-League MVP knew he had to leave Celtic to show what he can do. Iwata said: "The level of the Scottish first division is a little lower than the top five European leagues, so I often felt that it was a difficult environment for me. "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. Interest in the Japanese began to grow after his first full season in Hoops, and he was determined to get his move, saying: "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". There was still a Celtic connection at his new club in the English third tier which he knew about: "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." The midfielder racked up 47 games for Birmingham in his first season, scoring eight goals. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
The National
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
Every first-team loanee returning to Rangers this summer
The club has had several men out getting game time elsewhere in the 2024/25 campaign, and they will soon come back to Ibrox ahead of the new season. As it stands, Ben Davies and Kieran Dowell will both report for pre-season training at Rangers. Read more: The former spent the full campaign at Birmingham City, helping them to win English League One and earn promotion to the Championship. Dowell joined the club halfway through the campaign, scoring five goals and assisting as many in his 23 appearances. Elsewhere, Robbie Fraser is due to return to Ibrox. He was on loan at Livingston for the second half of this season and just last night, helped them win promotion to the Scottish Premiership, completing 90 minutes in their comeback play-off win over Ross County. The young left-back is contracted at Rangers until 2026. Rabbi Matondo and Jose Cifuentes are two fringe men whose deals in Govan expire in 2026 and 2027, respectively. The Welsh winger had an uninspiring few months on loan at Hannover recently, while Cifuentes scored once in 23 Greek top-tier appearances for Aris Saloniki after joining them last summer. Homegrown trio Cole McKinnon, Adam Devine and Kieran Wright all spent time on loan in the Scottish Championship this season, although their Rangers contracts expire this summer. Finally, Leon King, who joined Queen's Park at the end of February, returns to Ibrox after making eight second-tier appearances.
Daily Record
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
St Mirren snap up Roland Idowu as six players including star duo leave club
The Paisley outfit have released their summer retained list following another impressive campaign. Roland Idowu became St Mirren's first signing of the summer as six players left the SMiSA Stadium for the final time. The Irish maverick has put pen to paper on a two-year deal having spent this season on loan at the club from Sky Bet League One outfit Shrewsbury Town. The 23-year-old made 36 appearances and scored four goals — the most notable strike coming in the 3-2 win over Ross County in April which sealed a hat-trick of Premiership top-six finishes for the Buddies. Idowu arrives on an undisclosed fee with the Shropshire side in rebuilding mode following a dismal relegation to League Two. Buddies boss Stephen Robinson said: 'Roland is a very talented player and offers us something different. He can play in numerous positions and gives us a creative outlet that we have maybe missed at times. 'It took him a little bit of time to adjust to the levels here but you could see towards the end of the season that he was reaching those levels and had become an important player for us. 'There was a lot of interest in Roland from other Scottish Premiership and English League One sides so I'm delighted we've managed to get him here on a permanent deal.' Centre-back Richard Taylor and midfielder Caolan Boyd-Munce lead the list of departures which also includes Dennis Adeniran, Elvis Bwomono, Owen Foster (who was on loan at Lowland League Cumbernauld Colts) and Gallagher Lennon, who spent time with League Two Bonnyrigg Rose and is the son of ex-Celtic player and boss Neil. Both Taylor and Boyd-Munce are believed to have attracted significant interest following successful spells in the black-and-white stripes. Boyd-Munce's campaign isn't over just yet – he has been called up by Northern Ireland for their friendlies with Denmark and Iceland next month. Robbo has already confirmed that discussions to sign keeper Zach Hemming and wing-back Ryan Alebiosu on permanent deals are ongoing. Hemming has been on loan from Sky Bet Championship side Middlesbrough — where he is entering the final year of his contract — while Alebiosu was on a temporary transfer from Belgian outfit KV Kortrijk. Following the publication of the retained list, Saints said: 'We say goodbye to Dennis Adeniran, Caolan Boyd-Munce, Elvis Bwomono, Owen Foster, Gallagher Lennon and Richard Taylor who will all move on following the expiry of their contracts. 'We thank all departing players for their respective contributions and wish them all the best of luck in whatever comes next.' The Buddies first-team squad as it stands is as follows: Peter Urminsky, Jonah Ayunga, Marcus Fraser, Alex Gogic, Alex Iacovitti, Roland Idowu, Declan John, Luke Kenny, Greg Kiltie, Mikael Mandron, Conor McMenamin, Evan Mooney, Mark O'Hara, Owen Oseni, Killian Phillips, James Scott, Oisin Smyth, Scott Tanser, Fraser Taylor. Saints will kick-off the 2025-26 season in the group stages of the Premier Sports Cup which begin on the weekend of Saturday, July 12. The draw will be made on Wednesday, May 28.
STV News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- STV News
St Mirren secure signing of attacker Roland Idowu on permanent basis
Roland Idowu will be back at St Mirren next season after the Paisley club announced the signing of the attacker on a permanent deal. The Irishman caught the eye during a loan spell from Shrewsbury Town this season, and St Mirren have agreed a deal to sign Idowu from the Shrews for an undisclosed fee. Idowu has signed a two-year deal and will be part of Stephen Robinson's squad as the Saints prepare for next season. The 23-year-old started the season slowly but made 26 appearances overall and came to the fore as the team made a late push to secure a top-six place, with Idowu scoring the winning goal against Ross County that put the team in the top half. He also played his part as St Mirren went unbeaten in their five post-split games, with Robinson saying he had become a key player in black and white. 'Roland is a very talented player and offers us something different. He can play in numerous positions and gives us a creative outlet that we have maybe missed at times. 'It took him a little bit of time to adjust to the levels here, but you could see towards the end of the season that he was reaching those levels and had become an important player for us. 'There was a lot of interest in Roland from other Scottish Premiership and English League One sides so I'm delighted we've managed to get him here on a permanent deal.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wrexham heading Down Under for preseason tour ahead of push for Premier League
Wrexham's Max Cleworth celebrates with teammates and fans as they win the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Wrexham's James McClean rises the trophy as they win the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds, left, and Rob McElhenney, right, speak before the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds, left, and Rob McElhenney, right, speak before the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Wrexham's Max Cleworth celebrates with teammates and fans as they win the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Wrexham's James McClean rises the trophy as they win the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds, left, and Rob McElhenney, right, speak before the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) WREXHAM, Wales (AP) — Wrexham is heading Down Under to prepare for its first shot at getting into the Premier League. The fast-rising Welsh club owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will play three preseason friendlies in an eight-day span in July during a tour of Australia and New Zealand. Advertisement Wrexham has just clinched a third straight promotion and will be playing next season in the Championship — one tier down from the Premier League. Wrexham will play Melbourne Victory on July 11 and then Sydney FC four days later, the team said Tuesday. The closing game of the tour will be against Wellington Phoenix on July 19. 'From the very beginning, we wanted to help make Wrexham a globally recognized team, town and brand,' Reynolds and McElhenney said in a club statement. 'We could not be more excited to bring the Red Dragons to Australia and New Zealand.' Wrexham has previously had preseason tours to the United States. ___ AP soccer:
