“He’s going to be a fantastic player again for us,” Brendan Rodgers | OneFootball

Brendan Rodgers spoke to the media post-match after Celtic’s 3-1 victory at Motherwell yesterday afternoon…

Brendan Rodgers. Motherwell v Celtic, 2nd February 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

The Celtic manager was delighted with the both performance and the three points that keep Celtic’s title charge right on track with Dundee next up at Celtic Park on Wednesday night. With Jota returning to Paradise that is going to be extra-special.

Paulo Bernardo with Jota. Motherwell v Celtic, 2nd February 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Here’s everything that Brendan had to say in the media room at Fir Park…

Q: It was a fairytale finish for Jota?

Brendan Rodgers: “It was nice for him, a nice moment. Obviously, he was a superstar when he was here the first time. It’s been a challenge for him obviously leaving, but he couldn’t have wrote that any better. He’s a wonderful player; he’s obviously a way to go in terms of his fitness. He’s someone who can beat a man, he doesn’t just look like a good player, he is a good player. He can beat a man, he’s very effective. Once he gets up to fitness in terms of how I want him to press the game, he’s going to be a fantastic player again for us.”

READ THIS…Transfer Latest – Danny Ings gets deadline day link to Celtic

Jota is emotional after he scores his first goal after rejoining Celtic, Motherwell v Celtic, 2nd February 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: I think he was crying, Brendan, after he scored. Does that show what it means to him?

Brendan Rodgers:  “He’s emotional. The journey that he’s been on since being here and then leaving, just not having that feeling. It’s a really, really difficult club when you come away from it, especially when you’re a player like him, when you’re adored to that level that he was when he was here the first time. He probably thought he was never going to feel that again.

READ THIS…Boyd and McGeady embarrass Sky Sports with their sneering Jota comments

Jota celebrates his first goal after rejoining Celtic, Motherwell v Celtic, 2nd February 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“To come back and get the goal, and obviously the support idolises him. For every player, you want to feel wanted, appreciated, and he knows he has that here. At the training ground, there’s an internal culture which is based around respect. He has that, and obviously the supporters love him. It’s step by step, he needs to get to a level of fitness, but you can see in cameos like that, he’s quality.”

Q: Were you always going to play him at some point, Brendan?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yeah. If you’re chasing the game, then you have that quality to bring into the game, or when the game was at the stage it was. Even though it was 2-1, I thought we were really dominant and played some great football, and unfortunate not to have had more goals. The plan was to get him 20-25 minutes in the game, and obviously he came in and did very well.”

READ THIS…Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Celtic at Fir Parking

Jota. Motherwell v Celtic, 2nd February 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: It can be awkward when football players go back to a club where they’ve been successful at, but you wouldn’t have any doubts that this guy can be as good as first time around?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yeah, it’s all about the personal ambition. I think that he’s had the sample now of two moves that haven’t quite worked out. He also has the feeling of probably a more realistic feeling of the actual size of the club, and what Celtic can give him. So, my feeling is that he’ll come back even hungrier and be even better than he was the first time. Why? Because he knows what the other side looks like, and he probably will recognise and realise how lucky he is that a club like this here. It’s all about the mentality. t’s happened so many times, players go and still create and develop their legacy even more, so that’s what I expect him to do.”

Q: You must have been so pleased today as well with Daizen Maeda’s performance?

Daizen Maeda. Motherwell v Celtic, 2nd February 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yes, he had a rest during the week, so he had lots of running on his legs. I thought we were really dynamic in the goals that we did score. Thinking of the first one, it was a great header. The second one was a brilliant goal getting through, because the pitch was a wee bit tricky today. It was a wee bit bumpy, so technically we played a really good technical game on it, and obviously Adam gets the goal, but Daizen, like you say, his running, his relentlessness in the game, he was deserving of his Man in the Match.”

Q: It’s been a good few days for Adam Idah as well?

Adam Idah scores. Motherwell v Celtic, 2nd February 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, it’s a good feeling. He just wants to keep this run going. There’s never been any doubt of his ability. He’s been here 12 months now. All he’s said is just patience and time and support. I thought there was more to his game today. His link-up play was a good reference for the team. His power and some of his movement. But to score two goals like he did, two in a week, is a big shot of confidence for him. Because you do it at that level, it’s just really making sure that you turn up in all the games. Not just the Champions League games or the finals. What is going to get you the numbers here is turning up on a day like today. I thought he was excellent today.”

Q: It’s real striker’s goals that he’s scored?

Brendan Rodgers:  “That’s it. Our game is based a lot on combining centrally or down the sides to get crosses in. In particular, low crosses. So, for that, you have to be between the posts. Really good finishes. He’s two during the week. This one today, off his other side. I know some of you guys doubted it. But we know internally that he can do it. he had a difficult pre-season. A difficult start. But there’s no doubt in his talent. We’ve never doubted it inside. It’s just work and continuous work to bring it out.”

Jota with Brendan Rodgers. Motherwell v Celtic, 2nd February 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: You want to bring in another striker as well but his response, that’s what you’re looking for, isn’t it?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yeah, but I said afterwards, it’s competition. We’ve got to this point in the season. Why? Because the squad has been really competitive. We can bring players in that can do well. You can take Nicolas Kuhn off, put Jota in to the game, which keeps the level of the game up. We play so many games. How we want to play takes a lot of work. A lot of intense work. So yeah, my feeling was always, once Kyogo was gone, was to have someone else to come in. So that’s the plan. Hopefully that can be the case, and we can execute that by tomorrow night.”

Q: Do you feel confident about what will happen, or expect it to happen? Where is that at the moment?

Brendan Rodgers:  “I don’t know exactly where it’s at, at this moment. But I’d be hopeful that we can do that.”

Q: How would you describe your feeling about the last day of the window? You seem quite relaxed throughout it?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yeah, to be fair, the club knows my feelings. They know why I came back. I’m here to enjoy my time in Celtic, not to fall out with myself and do all the things that sometimes I maybe didn’t do the first time. The demand is still there to improve the squad. We have to. We have to make sure that there’s constant improvement. That’s been clear. I don’t need to fall out with anyone over it. Everyone knows what it is we want to do at the club. That’s us all. So, I’m hopeful that we can do that.”

READ THIS…West Ham has improved £500k bid for Celtic goalscorer rejected

Daniel Cummings of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the UEFA Youth League 2024/25 match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Lesser Hampden on November 05, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Any update on Daniel Cummings at all? He wasn’t in the squad today.

Brendan Rodgers:  “No, he was with the second team yesterday and he was ill in the warm-up, so he didn’t play. I believe there’s interest from another club for him, but that’s been the case with a lot of our young players. They get to a certain age where they have the right of contract and then they have a decision to make. Do they stay and follow the example of Callum McGregor? For example, trust the club, be patient, knowing that you might not be right ready at 17 or 18, but you have to be a special talent to be. Can you just be patient and wait a little bit longer? Or do you do what a lot of players have done and take the opportunity at 18 to look elsewhere? I think that’s the situation that young Daniel is in with his agents. We will just wait and see what happens.”

Q: Without putting numbers on it, Brendan, are you expecting a hectic day tomorrow?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Hopefully not. Hopefully not. Hopefully just get the work finalised that we want to do. I don’t expect it to be hectic, but I would hope that we could come out of this window stronger. That’s always been the plan.”

Q: I take it in terms of a striker it’s looking more like a loan now as opposed to a permanent one?

Brendan Rodgers:  “I would think so. I would think so. I think that to get the one that we would want for that longer term, if it’s not there, then I don’t want to just bring in anyone just for the sake of it. I’ve always looked from within. There’s no point in bringing in someone if they’re not the right fit. It might be more down that route, but we’ll wait and see what tomorrow evening brings.”

Celtic Pools – Join the Weekly Lottery and support the Celtic Academy. Why not join Celtic Pools for £1 a week with the chance to win up to £25k

More Stories / Latest News

“He’s going to be a fantastic player again for us,” Brendan Rodgers

Feb 3 2025, 16:03

Transfer Latest – Danny Ings gets deadline day link to Celtic

Feb 3 2025, 14:07

Boyd and McGeady embarrass Sky Sports with their sneering Jota comments

Feb 3 2025, 12:26