Jota - Welcome Home!

Jota makes good on ambitious Celtic pledge - 'I’m able to say a few things to the boys'
There is much Celtic winger Jota has made good on since his early days in Scotland. Including a bold pledge.

The gifted Portuguese wide-man said early on in his time with the club – a 2021-22 loan switch from his beloved Benfica that gave way to a £6.5m permanent deal – his determination to make Kyogo Furuhashi feel at home would extend to learning Japanese. As the club’s contingent from that nation has swelled to five with Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Yuki Kobayashi and Tomoki Iwata now in the ranks, so has his command of their mother tongue. The 23-year-old’s polyglot capabilities extended by his claim to one language that may be considered more the lingua franca.

“Yes, definitely. I already know how to speak Japanese fluently … in all seriousness, I’m able to say a few things to the boys,” said the Celtic attacker. “I think they appreciate it. Everyone tries to understand each other. Of course Japanese is really difficult for us. But sometimes it’s just for fun. They know that we try to put them in the dynamic of our group if we try to speak a little bit of their language.


Of course we cannot formulate sentences and speak fluently with them, but as long as we know some basic stuff to make a good laugh I think everything is easier and it’s a good environment. I already speak Portuguese, English, Spanish, I can understand and speak a bit of French, I can speak some Russian and … I can also speak Scottish.”

There is nothing Jota enjoys more than talking all things Benfica, his first football love. A youth product of the Lisbon side, a first Champions League semi-final appearance for the two-time European Cup winners appears possible following their last eight pairing with Internazionale. Jota would see such progress as a deserved reward for the Portuguese leaders’ investment in their player-rearing processes. “This is the project which Benfica is always developing throughout the last decade,” he said. “It’s something unbelievable. They have one of the best academies, if not the best, in the world. It’s just a world inside a world. If you see the facilities over there and the work they do on the development sides, it’s different gravy.”

 

Different gravy

Whit a guy.

 

Can just picture sitting in the dressing room


Aw right lads let’s get in aboot it in different languages

 

Hes a wee character is our Jota

 

https://t.co/qiJouv87Bm

Hope that works, * at this

This might will be taking over Scotty Sinclairs song as best ever.

 

Thought he was * class today. Had both full backs on toast and could easily have had an assist or two.

* penalty mind.

 

Full of effort and that's something I love to see from Celtic players. Not a lot came off for him though I didn't think. Scored the penalty though and that was all that mattered at that time in the game.

For someone with his talent it would be easy for him to be arrogant, but he's anything but. Such a humble player and has been a cracking signing for us.

 

Definitely looked our most dangerous player outwith Kyogo..

 

That final touch was missing at times (although could easily have had an assist first half for Kyogo) but it was the link up, dribbling, wee flicks, was just a joy to watch i thought. Both full backs were terrified of him.

 

Yeah he's earned such a huge level of respect in Scottish football that players just naturally drop off him because they know if they commit he'll just go past them with ease. Everyone is so wary of him now.

 

Anyone else thinking before that pen it was going to be some pishy tame effort or just me lol? He just doesn’t seem the pen type!

 

Aye I wasn't confident in it at all!

Goals a goal though!

 

Pathetic penalty, put someone on the spot who's confident with taking them ....

That's two pish penalties on the trot.

 

He ran that rb ragged, so dangerous when taking on defenders and his final ball is usually quality.

 

To be fair, still scored them both but I get your point, feel a lot more confident when it's Mooy.

 

By his standards he was poor, first 15 good back post crosses then it seemed to go to *, lost count after that the crosses that went out for goal kicks.

His penalty was fkn awful, terrible from the goalie, lol.

For such a gifted player he does seem to put in a lot of work today, gave it a way loosely a few times but always chased it back.

Needs his ballsed kicked for not squaring to haksa, * knows what he did.

Sure he'll be back to his best after the break again.

 

Think he's going to have an absolute stormer next season tbh. He's still been good this year, but next year he'll make a mockery of this league.

 

Let's stop messing about and just offer Jota a player/head of youth academy role