Michael Stewart noticed Celtic fans’ reaction when Jota got on the ball for Daizen Maeda’s goal v Dundee

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Jota has only been back in the Celtic building for a few weeks, yet he is already producing high-quality performances.

The returning Bhoys star hasn’t needed time to settle down again, which is great for Brendan Rodgers, especially with the Bayern Munich game around the corner.

Celtic thrashed Dundee 6-0 on Wednesday night – the rearranged Premiership encounter – to move 13 points clear at the top of the table.

Daizen Maeda netted a brace, with Jota assisting his first goal with a brilliant cross into the far post, before the Portuguese star was involved in the build-up of his sublime second.

The Japan star chipped Dundee keeper Trevor Carson to make it 4-0, as Celtic started the second half in a rampant fashion.

It’s music to everyone’s ears that Maeda and Jota have picked up from where they left off last time out.

Michael Stewart on ‘interesting’ Daizen Maeda and Jota roles for Celtic against Dundee

Celtic fans were delighted to see Jota in the starting XI, after his comeback goal against Motherwell, as he continues to build up his fitness.

Michael Stewart was on commentary for BBC Radio Scotland, and straight away, he noticed Maeda on the other side of the flank, which he found ‘interesting’.

That left flank has been occupied by Maeda in recent times and Nicolas Kuhn – who was on the bench – on the other side.

But Stewart felt it was the right call to put Jota out on the left because it’s where he feels ‘most comfortable’ and it also gets him up to speed ‘quicker’.

“The first thing I would say is that Jota is on the left, interestingly,” said Stewart just after kick-off. “Maeda is actually starting on the right and Jota over on that left-hand side.

“I was talking about this at the weekend. It brings up an interesting dynamic. I feel, if you are looking to get Jota up to speed as quickly as possible, that’s where he feels most comfortable and that’s where I think you get him up to speed quicker.”

Celtic crowd reaction inside Parkhead to Jota’s role in Maeda’s goal

The build-up to Celtic’s fourth goal of the night was a thing of beauty and it was Rodgers’ style of play at its very best.

It started from the corner flag with Jota, who, along with Greg Taylor and Callum McGregor, played their way out of a tight situation, out to the other side, where Engels would play a delightful through ball for the on-rushing Maeda.

That’s when Maeda worked his magic and chipped the keeper, with Stewart noting how the crowd inside Celtic Park were ‘getting excited’ by it all as it was happening.

“He is such a lovely-balanced football player,” said Stewart about Jota, as he was building up for Maeda’s second goal. “You can hear. That’s the crowd. Getting excited about (Jota).

And then Maeda’s goal goes in: “By the way, that is a ludicrous finish from Daizen Maeda. Absolutely brilliant. He is inside the box when he makes contact with that and Trevor Carson is inside his six-yard box. He gets it over the keeper and into the back of the net. That’s a sensational finish.

“But it starts from Jota in the left-back position, facing his own goalline, and as I said, just a lovely-balanced player. Great composure. Wee stepover and a shimmy. Keeping possession. Passing it forward into Greg Taylor, then they build the game from that left-back position. That’s what the crowd were getting excited about. Just that lovely little bit of play, and all of a sudden, about four passes later, the ball is in the back of the net from an incredible finish from Daizen Maeda.”