Jota’s return to Celtic has been an undoubted success so far, even if there’s a feeling much more is to come from the Portuguese winger.
He’s made 10 appearances in all competitions since making the January switch from Rennes, netting three goals and assisting another.
Still fully establishing himself after a long period of inconsistent football elsewhere, Jota is well-primed to have a strong end to the season before looking to hit the heights of his first spell from pre-season and beyond.
The winger worked under Ange Postecoglou at Celtic previously, so the experience of Brendan Rodgers as his manager is a new one.
Jota is very much enjoying getting to know his new boss, speaking to Celtic TV this week in the build-up to facing Rangers on Sunday.
He said, “Brendan is someone that gives us a lot of confidence but a lot of responsibility as well. He demands a lot from us because he knows that we are capable of it. The standards are quite high and I really like the way we train and the way we play.
“As a group, we are all very together and we fight for the same thing. I think the connection between the coach and the players has been really nice.”
That Rangers match is looming large and it’s an occasion that Jota can’t wait to experience again.
The attacker has some good memories in the derby. He’s scored four goals against the Ibrox side in 10 matches, winning on six occasions.
The opportunity to do that again is one to relish and Jota’s focus is clear.
He explained, “It’s something different. It’s a very special feeling. It’s something that every player should feel once in their lifetime. Luckily for us and luckily for me, I’ve had the opportunity to play a lot of them and I still want to play many more. I’m just excited about it.
“I feel like every game is a different game, but we tend to focus on ourselves. It’s not because it’s going to be a big rival that we are going to think differently or do different stuff.
“No, we have our philosophy. We have our aim for the game. We know exactly what to do.”
