Exclusive: Birmingham City player declared as best in League One - it’s not Jay Stansfield | OneFootball

David Prutton has named Blues midfielder Tomoki Iwata as who he thinks is the best in the third-tier right now

Former footballer and current Sky Sports pundit David Prutton believes that Birmingham City midfielder Tomoki Iwata is the best player in League One right now due to his impressive form in the heart of Blues' midfield amid their third-tier title charge.

Japanese international Iwata joined the Second City club last summer in a permanent move for just under £1 million from Celtic, and has been a key part of Chris Davies' side as he looks to guide Birmingham to an immediate return to the Championship this season.

The 27-year-old plays at the base of midfield in Blues' usual 4-2-3-1 formation, and has put in consistently standout performances in his debut campaign at the club, with automatic promotion looking like an almost foregone conclusion with 14 games still left to play.

David Prutton heaps 'best player' praise on Birmingham's Tomoki Iwata

Eyebrows were raised across the EFL when Iwata joined Blues in the summer ahead of their return to the third tier, with his signature another in a long line of high-profile captures that they made relative to the level.

He only spent 18 months with Scottish champions Celtic after a December 2022 loan move from Yokohama F. Marinos was made permanent in the summer of 2023. Iwata's time in Glasgow mainly saw him make appearances from the bench, but it was still a surprise to see him join a League One side.

That shock has been vindicated by his immense performances in a blue shirt this season. He has registered seven goals and two assists in 32 appearances so far, including a fantastic strike from outside the penalty area to level proceedings against Newcastle United in the FA Cup fourth round.

Many would argue that Jay Stansfield with his lofty price-tag and reputation sets the standard in League One, but Sky Sports presenter and pundit David Prutton has been impressed by Iwata's showings for the League One table-toppers this season, and believes that he is the third tier's best player right now.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Prutton said: “League One’s best player at the moment (is) Tomoki Iwata.

“I think what he has managed to bring to a midfield, and a team that has obviously been built to blast their way out of League One straight back into the Championship, is a real discipline at the heart of where, I’d like to think as a former journeyman midfielder, all the important work goes on.

“(He is) that type of teammate, the stereotypical ‘covers every blade of grass,’ and is doing a lot of work which helps the team tick along and makes them formidable in the middle of the pitch.

“The athleticism that he shows, the ability to deliver under pressure and expectation, which is absolutely what each of every Birmingham City player is having to do at St. Andrew's, and of course on the road.

“They will be big draws wherever they go in the division, which means that his impetus in the side, his discipline and marshaling in the middle of the pitch does make him a standout.

“Iwata is part of a Birmingham side that is doing wonderful work under heavy expectation. Just because a team spends money and has those expectations, doesn’t mean they always perform.

“They have quite clearly shown they can handle that, and Iwata has been a wonderful example of it at this moment in time.”

Tomoki Iwata is a level above League One right now

Birmingham's unstoppable campaign has been well-documented, particularly over the last few months as they edge ever closer to an immediate return to the Championship, and it is fair to say that their squad is largely made up of players who are just too good for the third-tier at this point in their respective careers.

Iwata certainly fits that mould, as do the likes of Jay Stansfield, Christoph Klarer and Paik Seung-ho, and if Blues do return to the second-tier soon, which certainly seems likely, then all of those players will be ready-made to keep up their momentum from this potential promotion campaign.

The 27-year-old has experience at the top level for both club and country, with appearances in the UEFA Champions League at Celtic and AFC Champions League with Yokohama, as well as four caps for the Japanese national team, including two in the 2019 Copa América.

Boss Davies has previously dubbed him a "dangerous" player going forward, which is an unusual description for a holding midfielder, but it just proves how many facets of his game he excels at, especially in League One.

There is no telling how far Iwata can go in the next few years with Birmingham and beyond, but for now, he is strutting his stuff in the third-tier with serious style.