Celtic loan signing Jota speaks on Jorge Cadete’s days at club, Paradise proving 'perfect' and being 'here to win title'

An impressive knowledge of Celtic is certainly demonstrated by deadline-day season loan signing Jota.

Celtic loan signing Jota appreciates there is a big responsibility that comes with his new club because of its size and is determined to "be the level they ask of me" (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

The 22-year-old winger is only the second high-profile Portuguese footballer to pitch up at the Parkhead side. And he requires no-one to clue him in that the only previous player of his nationality to have a spell in Glasgow’s east end was another one-time Benfica player.

Jorge Cadete certainly had an eventful 15 months at Celtic across 1996 and 1997, before he cited stress over supposed verbal promises on a contract upgrade to force a move to the Stadium of Light club. Having arrived from Lisbon following a contract dispute with their rivals and his first team Sporting. In reflecting on following Cadete’s footsteps, Jota – who Celtic have a £6.5m buy-out clause as part of the deal they struck with Benfica – understandably focuses on the on-pitch impact made by the 33-times capped predator, not his capacity for strife off it.

“Ah Jorge Cadete! Thirty goals in 37 games! Of course he is a big hero back home,” the loanee said of the striker’s league plundering, which underpinned 38 goals in 49 games across all competitions during his brief stint in Glasgow. “He’s not been in touch but he did very well at Celtic, his statistics are amazing. I know that Celtic fans always remember him for that. But I don’t think about trying to be someone else. Every player has his past and I’m working every day to have my time. I want to make my own story at Celtic and be a success here myself.”

So won over is Jota by the opportunity to turn out for Ange Postecoglou’s team that he refuses to consider he will bounce into this stage of his career after his time with Benfica, the club that nurtured him, did not work out. He has not been in Jesus Jorge’s plans for the past two years, and spent last season on loan to Real Valladolid, following a run of senior appearances across 2019. Owing to the move he has now earned - which he gleefully states will allow him to experience “Paradise” - he is philosophical about his previous experiences in the game. “Things worked fine. I am here at Celtic. Things are better than perfect,” he said. “I spoke to my friends and family. I told them it’s an amazing place and I can’t wait to bring them to Scotland to watch the games and feel the same things that I will do.”

Jota certainly seems to understand the expectations non-negotiable at his new team when detailing his motivations for the season. “Moving to Celtic is a big responsibility because of the size of the club,” he said. “I want to be at the level they ask of me. It’s great to be here, there are plenty of good players and good coaches with refreshing ideas. Now I want to be on the pitch with the lads and do my thing. I’m here to help the team and the main achievement would be the title – I’m here to win that. Any coach or player at Celtic must be ready to win every game. They must be ready to win the title.”

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