Celtic’s forward line has been in scintillating form in recent months, delivering performances that have fans buzzing with excitement.
Not long ago, the Celtic Park faithful were voicing their frustration over the club’s lack of activity during the January transfer window.
Kyogo Furuhashi’s departure to Rennes left a void, and Celtic chose not to bring in a direct replacement, despite knowing for months that the Japanese forward wanted to leave.
However, the return of Jota has lifted spirits around the club, especially after he marked his second debut with a goal against Motherwell.
Since then, Brendan Rodgers has managed the 25-year-old’s minutes carefully, including benching him for Celtic’s recent victory over St Mirren on Saturday. This cautious approach is understandable, given Jota’s limited playing time over the past 18 months.
Jota ‘surprise’ after Celtic comeback:
Despite his lack of game time—only 332 minutes for Rennes this season before his return to Glasgow—Jota has looked sharp and delivered impressive performances.
Celtic supporter Stephen McGinn highlighted this, expressing his amazement at how well Jota has adapted, telling Go Radio: “I can’t believe how good Jota has been.”
McGinn, the older brother of Aston Villa captain John McGinn, added that Jota has “hit the ground running,” even as Rodgers has been careful to “protect his minutes.”
“I think Jota has been a top signing,” said McGinn. “I can’t believe how good Jota has been, in terms of his limited minutes. Getting up to speed.
“Genuinely, it has taken me by surprise how good he has been. Brendan Rodgers has actually tried to protect his minutes. He didn’t start the first game against Bayern. But he has just hit the ground running and this is right up there.
“I felt, last season, one of the reasons he struggled in the title race is that he builds his Celtic team, his best Celtic teams have been the two wingers.
“He was relying heavily on one last year and Daizen Maeda. It took until James Forrest came back from injury late last season to really start to look like a Brendan Rodgers team.
“With Kuhn, Maeda and Jota, they look like a real good Brendan Rodgers side.”
Jota’s stats since returning to Celtic:
This resurgence is excellent news for Celtic and Rodgers, as it suggests Jota still has even higher levels to reach.
Since his return, Jota has already netted three goals, including a Man of the Match performance in the win over Dundee United.
| Tournament | Apps | Mins | Goals | Assists | MotM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiership | 3(3) | 279 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Champions League | 1(1) | 85 | – | – | – |
Once Jota has a full pre-season under his belt and further settles into the squad, fans can expect to see the best of him in the next campaign.
For now, he’s already making a significant impact, racking up trophies and thrilling the Celtic faithful, just as he has always done.
