“I’m buzzing at the moment, it feels like home,” Jota tells The Celtic Star | OneFootball

Jota spoke to The Celtic Star at yesterday’s fan media conference after securing a sensational return for £9m from Rennes with Kyogo heading in the other direction….

Here’s everything that the four fan media outlets asked Jota and the interesting replies given from our returning Superstar from Portugal.  I was delighted to be there, representing The Celtic Star and asking the first three questions. Here’s what happened…

The Celtic Star: How does it feel to be back?

Jota: “I’m buzzing at the moment; it feels like home and for me that’s something that I was aiming for. Today going to Lennoxtown and training etc, it just felt like nostalgic, but it felt like I’ve never left, so that’s the feeling at the moment.”

The Celtic Star: Talk us through the decision to come back and I suppose you would say it was an easy one?

Jota: “Yeah, well, never easy, right? Because all the decisions have the ups and downs and you need to be smart on the steps that you are going to take, but once I really had the time to think on it and I understand that this was the best step for my career at this moment, I felt like, okay, let’s go for it once again and it just feels right.”

The Celtic Star: You had so much success here and it wasn’t long ago, so how confident are you that you can pick up where you left off?

Jota: “I hope so. It’s obviously been a year and a half with some difficulties, mostly on the pitch where I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to play and obviously physically it’s not my best moment, but that will come quickly with minutes, game time, training and I just can’t wait for it.”

Fan Media: It’s a new manager, some things are the same, but a new manager, some new players, what is it about this current set-up itself that makes you think you can thrive again here?

Jota: “I’m just getting to know some of the lads. I think only nine players remain since the last time, so I think it’s not the best time to say that. I hadn’t had the time, but definitely there’s a lot of talent, there’s room for improvement and under the orders of Brendan, I think there’s a good environment to develop and to win stuff.”

Fan Media: You talked about how the last 18 months have been quite challenging. Can you just talk us through that and what it’s been like, your journey since you left Celtic?

Jota:  “It’s life, isn’t it? It’s choices that you make, and you have to live with them, and you have to go through them. I think I’m someone that believes that we shouldn’t go outside or try to feel different things, no, you really need to go through it. I was no different from that, so I’ve learned a lot of stuff. I’ve known myself in different ways that I didn’t know, and I think that’s all positives in the end of the day because I’m much more mature, I have a different vision from what I want and what I want to achieve and I’m very aware of myself, so in the end that’s what I take from it.”

Fan Media: How different is the Jota that’s arriving here today than the one that initially joined Celtic in the first spell?

Jota: “I wouldn’t say much different. I’m obsessed about football, and I always aim to have success and to give happiness and joy to the people that come to the stadium, to me, to my family. In the end of the day, it will always be about that, so I wouldn’t say I come differently. Maybe in personal terms, obviously, because I’ve had quite a long journey, but in football terms, I would say that my goal and my aim is still the same.”

Kyogo publicity phot for Rennes after his move from Celtic. Photo Rennes FC

Fan Media: Kyogo has obviously left the club at the same time that you’ve arrived today. Is that a shame, just given the fact that the two of you linked up very well in your last spell here?

Jota:  “Kyogo is definitely someone that I have a very good relationship with on the pitch. This is football. Everything changes from one moment to another and I wish I could still play with him more times, but as I told you, the wheel of football is always moving and then you just need to adapt yourself.”

Fan Media: How long have you known that this move might be in the pipeline and what was your reaction when you first heard of Celtic’s interest, and you might have the opportunity to come back to the club?

Jota:  “Well, obviously, I kept in touch with a lot of guys from Celtic and even sometimes it was a joke like, hey, why don’t you come back? There was always this feeling that, OK, we know that there is a very good place over there, something that I felt really good, so why not coming back one day, you know? Obviously, and I’m being truthful, I didn’t know that it was going to be so fast like this, but the last year and a half, it felt like 10 years. So, coming here, it’s just like a great feeling of joy and happiness and I just feel at home. And then things just started to happen really quickly and once I got in touch with everyone, and I felt like, OK, it’s actually what I need for my life and that’s what I’m going to bet on. It just happened naturally.”

Fan Media: Is that the key thing for you? You’ve only played, I think, 26 games since you left. Is it just about getting back in the pitch and kind of rediscovering your confidence?

Jota:  “Yeah, 100%. I think, obviously, there’s a period of time that I will need because it’s a long time and I always say this, that there’s no amount of training that can give you what the game gives to you because it’s just different. So that’s what I’m looking for now, just to get back feet and train hard, play harder and just have the same happiness that I had before.”

Brendan Rodgers arrives. Ross County v Celtic in Dingwall. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Fan Media: What can you say about the influence Brendan Rodgers had on you signing here and the discussions you’ve had with him?

Jota:  “I think he was a key part on the move. I’ve had a couple of talks with him. I think he understood my position. I understood his ideas, his philosophy and I think he’s a great manager at the moment for Celtic and we are on the move to make great things. So, I’m very excited to work with him.”

Fan Media: You mentioned it felt like 10 years ago. Did you appreciate what you had here more when you were away, and you look back on it?

Jota:  “Yeah, I would say so. Because it’s only when you leave that you can look back and see, I had that, I had this. But it was not just that. Through the places I was, I gained other stuff that I didn’t gain here, and I developed myself in a personal way that I didn’t know. So that was actually really good for me as well. In the end, it was just like going through processes, difficulties and overcoming them. And yeah, I’m proud of myself on that matter.”

Fan Media: You said you kept in touch with your teammates. Were you still in the group chats?

Jota:  “No, no, no. Can you imagine the amount of messages I would receive? No, no, no, no. I wasn’t in the group chats. I kept on speaking with some of the guys personally and obviously I kept following Celtic. But not in the group chat.”

Fan Media: Were a few of your former teammates quite persuasive, trying to get you back?

Jota:  “Like I said before, some of them always said that like in a joke, but it was a joke that it was a bit of truth. You know, we never know. But well, in the end, it happened. And right now, this is reality. And the most important thing is that I’m really happy to be here and I can’t wait to go.”

Jota returns to Celtic. Photo Celtic FC

Fan Media: I’m sure you’ve seen a few of the games. The way Brendan Rodgers plays, it seems like it would really suit your game. Is that what you hope that you can hit the ground running? It’s perfect for you in a way.

Jota:  “Yeah, that’s what I hope. I think Celtic has a very specific way of playing, a dominant way, attacking, scoring goals, giving joy and happiness to the fans. And I think that’s all I’ve dreamed of since I was a young guy. And I have the opportunity now to do it again in such a wonderful club.”

Fan Media: I think you’ve probably seen some of the reactions from the fans. They’re quite excited the way you came back. Have you experienced that first hand?

Jota:  “I haven’t yet. Everything is just happening really fast, so I haven’t had the opportunity to see anything. I’m not much on social media either, so maybe I’ll give a moment to that later.”

Welcome home Jota!

Conor Spence

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