TOMOKI IWATA insists he doesn’t fear the Premiership title pressure — after edging a close race during his J.League days.
The Celtic midfielder was Yokohama F. Marinos’ star man when they went head to head with Kawasaki Frontale in 2022.
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Iwata’s side were up against Japanese football’s dominant force as they chased a first title in three years.
Kevin Muscat’s side took a two-point lead into the final game of the season and held their nerve to win it.
Iwata will never forget the scenes in Yokohama as he lapped up the celebrations in the city.
The Celtic star believes that experience will stand him in good stead for the current title race with Rangers.
And Iwata insists it’s crucial Brendan Rodgers’ men stay calm going into the final five games.
He said: “Experiencing that pressure with Yokohama in 2022 is definitely helping me here at Celtic because it’s similar.
“We still have some games left here this season but I don’t feel nervous or not confident enough going into it.
“We have our own style of play at Celtic and as long as we prepare properly to play our own way, we’ll be ready to get the results we want in the title race.
“That season, 2022, I felt a different type of pressure to what I was used to because we were going for the title. As the games got less and less in the season — and the pressure built — we couldn’t play the way we wanted to.
“We felt that with maybe five games remaining.
“So we really started to feel how difficult it was going to be to win it.
“On the last day, both ourselves and Frontale won their games and we got the title by two points.
“We were ahead going into the final day against Vissel Kobe and had to make sure we didn’t lose.
“It was a lot of pressure but I don’t fear pressure.
“We had confidence that we could win the league and we managed to achieve it.
“The celebrations in Yokohama were incredible and it was a great experience for me, personally.
“It was the first title of my career so it was a fantastic moment to be there celebrating with my team-mates.
“And of course, everyone connected with the club was really happy that we had managed to become the champions.”
Yokohama’s last-day title win made for a dramatic ending to the 2022 J.League campaign.
There is a good chance there could be a similar blockbuster finale in the Premiership on May 18.
Both sides play today and while Rodgers’ men have a three-point advantage, there are likely to be twists and turns in the next three weeks.
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And Iwata insists Celtic are ready to go to the wire if that’s what it takes to be crowned champions.
He said: “You never know what’s going to happen in the future so I can’t comment on whether it will come down to the last day here. But we’ll be ready for it.
“We’ll be prepared for every game now and as long as we do that, we’ll be ready to win the title.
“We’re taking each game as it comes and we’ll see what happens.”
Iwata has shaken off the injury problems that hampered him in the early months of the season to play a key role for Celtic.
Rodgers is a fan of the dependable 27-year-old, who has started the Hoops’ last seven Premiership games.
Tidy on the ball, the Japanese midfielder keeps things simple and provides good cover for the Celtic defence.
Iwata has been asked to play in the holding role while Callum McGregor manages an injury — and has proved to be a reliable deputy.
He is happy with his recent progress but after arriving as Japan’s Player of the Year, he admits he expected more overall.
And Iwata has promised Celtic fans there will be even more to come from him next season.
He said: “I haven’t played as much at Celtic as I expected to so, until now, it has been below my expectations.
“However, if you ask me if it’s been a failure or a success, I certainly wouldn’t say it’s been a failure.
“This is still a great experience for me to learn from.
“It’s part of my career and my journey as a footballer.
“I only take the positives from it and I want to make more progress now. I’m only thinking forwards. Obviously, I don’t have any regrets about signing for Celtic. I’m so happy to play for this club and I’ve enjoyed every minute that I’ve been on the pitch.
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“I’m looking forward to seeing what more I can achieve at Celtic.”
Filling in for Hoops captain McGregor was never going to be easy for whoever got that job.
But Iwata insists he never felt under pressure to copy the influential Scotland midfielder.
Instead, the Parkhead ace views McGregor as one the main team-mates he can take guidance from.
He said: “I don’t feel that it’s difficult to replace Callum.
“I just look at him as my team-mate and that he’s a guy I can learn from.
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“He’s a fantastic player who can take my game to another level.
“I respect him so much as a team-mate. He’s a top player for this club.”
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