'We love him!': Jota hails understated Celtic icon as he opens up on dressing room bond driving treble dream

Celtic forward Jota says the club’s dressing room atmosphere will be a key component in their quest to win a sixth domestic treble in nine seasons.

The Portuguese winger came off the bench to score his fifth goal since returning to the club in January during the 5-0 Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Johnstone at the weekend, and believes he is now approaching peak condition and ready help the club end the season in memorable fashion.

Returning to the club in a reported £8.6million transfer during the winter window, Jota had endured a torrid season in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ittihad last year, before moving to French outfit Rennes last summer. His Ligue 1 adventure to hit a major speedbump when his new manager Julien Stéphan was sacked just three months after his arrival though, leading to his return to Glasgow.

After signing a bumper five-and-a-half year deal with Celtic in January though, the 26-year-old knows that is all behind him now he’s back in the green and white hoops, with the ex-Benfica talent buzzing to link up with his former teammates and fight for trophies once again.

Jota and James Forrest during the Portuguese winger's first spell at the club. | SNS Group

“I’m just enjoying the game, being happy on the pitch,” said Jota. “Every day is a new opportunity to be better and to be happier, so that's what I'm doing. I think being here for the first time and having lived what I lived, it was really good. I think the core group was still here when I came back. I still try to learn from them but whoever comes in new, I just try to help them and just perform with them, because in the end, it's about all being together and giving the best for Celtic.

“I'm feeling very good. I think I needed time to develop my physical ability because it was a long time without playing, but now I'm feeling very good and ready to go stronger. I always think that you should always give the best and whatever needs to happen will happen naturally, so there's no pressure on that. There's the responsibility of being better every day, and that's where my aim is.”

Just one point away from sealing the Scottish Premiership title, Jota is used to winning titles with Celtic, having won a domestic double in his debut season at the club back in 2021/22, before following it up with a treble a year later. However, his trophy collection still pales in comparison to that of teammate and Hoops icon James Forrest, who could take his Celtic trophy haul to an astonishing 28 by the end of the campaign.

Jota has impressed since returning to Celtic | Getty Images

Now the club’s most decorated player of all all time, Forrest surpassed Bobby Lennox's previous record of 25 winner’s medals with the Scottish League Cup win over Rangers in December, and Jota says his achievements make him someone the whole squad looks up as he continues to set standards at Celtic.

“Come on, he's not that old, 33 is the new 22,” laughed Jota. “Credit to him, James has had an unbelievable career, and we're just all grateful to him on the pitch and on the team. It speaks for itself. I think there's not one single person in the locker room that doesn't love James, as a person and a football player, so we just try to drink from his wisdom and to learn from him and just be a part of his journey.”

“There's a lot of good personalities in the club and everyone tries to transmit to us what the values of Celtic are. James was no different from that, you can learn a lot from him and I'm just grateful that I'm doing this with him.”