Tomoki Iwata made a surprise call to leave Celtic in the summer and join a team in England’s third tier.
But, with the backing of Tom Brady, struggling Birmingham City came knocking with their financial power, and hopes of picking themselves up after relegation from the Championship.
At the first time of asking, Birmingham have earned promotion and Iwata has played a huge part, after struggling to make a name for himself in Celtic colours.
That included a 2-1 win over Peterborough United last Tuesday, which sealed Birmingham’s success, with Iwata starting and making himself even more popular with his new fans.
But things went wrong for the ex-Celtic man at Wembley over the weekend, despite Birmingham’s momentum.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty ImagesTomoki Iwata and Tom Brady’s Birmingham City lose Vertu EFL Trophy final to Peterborough United
Despite never being a regular starter at Celtic Park, Iwata still played 42 matches for Scotland’s most successful club, so he would have been used to those big pressure moments.
But that experience of playing under the pressure cooker at Celtic didn’t help Iwata because his Birmingham side crumbled under the pressure, as they were beaten in the Vertu EFL Trophy final by Peterborough United.
This is despite being huge favourites going into the game, as two well-taken goals, including a stunning free-kick from Harley Mills sealed the trophy for Darren Ferguson’s men.
Iwata played the entire game, but could do nothing to stop the upset, as Tom Brady, who is a minority shareholder in the Midlands club, watched on heartbroken from the stands.
Iwata suffers a first after Celtic experience
Celtic are used to winning trophy after trophy, and that’s what Iwata has left behind by joining Birmingham, as he suffers his first-ever final defeat.
One of the Hoops’ great final wins was when Adam Idah netted a late winner against Rangers in the Scottish Cup final in 2024.
Iwata was part of that squad, but now, for the first time, he has suffered the heartache of being on the losing side.