Jota sends message to Celtic fans after going 13 points clear of Rangers
Celtic winger Jota has sent a message to fans on social media after going 13 points clear of Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.
Jota re-joined Celtic from Rennes in January, and the Portuguese winger made his second full debut for the club in the victory over Dundee FC (5 February).
Following a transfer window that saw Kyogo Furuhashi leave the club in a £10million deal to join Rennes, pundit Tam McManus asked if there was a better run club than Celtic anywhere.
A penalty from Arne Engels in the 18th minute gave the Hoops the lead, before Adam Idah, who arguably became a surprise Arsenal transfer target, scored on the stroke of half time.
The Bhoys came alive in the second-half, and with more goals from Engels, Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn, ran out 6-0 victors.
Jota back in Celtic ‘paradise’ after Dundee victory
Jota was one of the early movers in the exodus of players to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023.
Having joined Al-Ittihad to much fanfare, the Portuguese winger was quickly side-lined after failing to impress at his new side.
A move to Rennes in Ligue 1 failed to have the desired effect of reigniting Jota’s career as he fell out of favour in France.
However, a reunion with Celtic seems to have helped the former Benfica winger find his love with the game again, as he has now registered a goal and an assist in his first two games with the Bhoys.
Jota in ‘paradise’ back at Celtic Park
Jota posted an image of himself in action against Dundee on Instagram, simply captioned: “Paradise”.
The new number seven at Parkhead is a player who wears his heart on his sleeve, and has made it clear just how much it means to be back at his old club.
Jota will be a key player for the Bhoys, as Brendan Rodgers prepares his side for a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
Celtic will face Raith Rovers in their next match on 8 February, as they take on the Championship side in the Scottish Cup, and is well-placed to add another Premiership title given the gap to Philippe Clement’s Rangers.