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Tomoki Iwata has revealed how watching Celtic during their injury time-out, combined with his gym attendance, allowed him to make an impact on his return to the first team.
The midfielder was injured late last year in a Champions League clash against Feyenoord at Parkhead, but returned against Motherwell in February and has a key player for Brfinishan Rodgers in recent games.
Iwata received an initial loan from his former boss in Yokohama F. Marinos, Angel Postecoglou, with legal responsibility for the purchase. And the 26-year-old spoke of preparing to cope with the rigours of the Scottish Premiership, all while keeping a close eye on his teammates in action while they were injured this season. He said: “I didn’t play too many games in the early part of the season and I was frustrated. I had a chance to play a few games but I injured my ankle in the second or third game. Regardless, I came back last month (February), but it’s not the season I wanted.
“Even though I couldn’t play, I still had a chance to look at the other players around me. It’s an opportunity to practice and be informed about how they play and without this time it would be difficult to pay attention to those areas.
“Since I got here, I’ve done a lot of physical training, but this season I’m focusing more on how I can really use my strength during matches. I paid more attention to my physical condition and being in the best shape possible. “conceivable productive way to play. I think there have been some substitutions, like maybe a little bit more control over the training volume. So I think, overall, there’s been a replacement compared to last season.
“I bring out the most productive in myself in terms of duels and face-to-face with my opponents. But you can’t beat them physically in an aerial duel or when it’s a natural physical force. You have to be wise and I have to improve the speed in making decisions on how to handle the situation. Also, as I said before, I need to worry more about attacking, so the challenge for the next few games is to continue to play in a way that allows me to care more about the objectives.
Iwata scored in a 4-1 win over Hearts earlier in the season and set up compatriot Daizen Maeda in the recent Scottish Cup win over Livingston. He told Celtic View: “I think about the component of my game that I’m interested in scoring.
“One of my strengths is reading and perceiving opponents’ attacks from the back, but I need to show that I can also score goals in most of that, so I’m happy to be able to show that in the game against Livingston and I need to continue. That each and every party.
“It’s vital to keep improving my functionality and if I get the chance to play, I need to be the player who can help win matches. I need to worry more about contributing to the goals, that will be vital for me. “. If I get the chance to play the next few games, I’ll concentrate on the spin and show what I can in every match.
“As a team, I think it’s very vital for us to focus on one game at a time and win games together. If we can improve the quality of each and every feature and game after game, I think we can, despite each and every one and everything, finish the season the way we want.