Jota has made a bright start to his second spell at Celtic since returning late in the winter transfer window. In his first appearance since returning, he scored against Motherwell at Fir Park and shed tears openly in the aftermath of the goal. He was then handed a start in the following game, against Dundee FC at Parkhead.
Most fans had expected that it would take a few weeks before Jota was getting starts for Celtic again. That clearly was not the case.
Jota justified his selection as well. He assisted Daizen Maeda with a brilliant cross from the left that took out the entire Dundee backline. And he also had a part to play in Adam Idah's goal.
All in all, it was another successful outing for Jota. Even more important than the assist, it was a chance for him to build up his fitness. It looks like that was Brendan Rodgers' main aim when it came to starting the Portuguese winger against Dundee.
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As reported by 67 Hail Hail, Rodgers said while talking to BBC Radio Scotland:
"He made a nice little introduction at the weekend. He’s got a chance to start tonight to build up his football fitness, and we’ll look to develop that over the coming months."
It is safe to say that it will be some time before Jota is up to full speed again. But even right now, he is showing that he is capable of making an impact for Celtic with both goals and assists. He is truly a brilliant player when on song.
One has to wonder why it did not work out for him at Al-Ittihad and Rennes, because there is no question that the talent is there in spades. Perhaps he needs to be playing for a club like Celtic, where he feels the love of the supporters. Let's hope that he continues to do well over the course of the season and establishes himself as one of the best in Scotland again.