"Doesn't matter if he's quiet"; Celtic star Jota earns passionate backing from teammate

By Euan Davidson

March 11, 2022

Celtic winger Jota can turn any game at a moment’s notice, says his fellow left-sided Hoops teammate Greg Taylor.

Taylor, who has perhaps the best vantage point of all when it comes to Jota’s performances, has heralded the Portuguese forward’s consistent search for improvement. Another hard worker brought in by Ange Postecoglou, Celtic fans would love to see Jota signed permanently.

Whether or not he does, he’ll be crucial for the title run-in. And according to Greg Taylor, Jota is a top professional, and he’s not buying into the idea that his form has dipped since returning from an injury.

Taylor said of Celtic teammate Jota [Herald]: “We’ve seen what Jota has done this season.

“It’s only a few weeks ago he scored two hugely important goals at Aberdeen to get us three points on a tough night.

“Jota has been outstanding this season. It’s not surprising because he’s a top pro. He reaps his own rewards because away from the pitch he’s always working hard to get better. You can see why he’s been so good for us and hopefully he can continue that until the end of the season.

“He’s a big player for us. He’s one of the ones it doesn’t matter if he’s quiet as it only takes him a second to turn a game.”

Greg Taylor is absolutely right about Celtic sensation Jota

Taylor’s right; Jota has been a marvel for Celtic.

He’s the definition of a player who can make something out of nothing. Outrageously skilful, with pace to burn and an unerring work ethic, Jota’s star may have diminished ever so slightly but he’s still vital.

As we know, having players with that extra bit of technical quality can make the different. Nakamura, Moravcik, McGeady; title wins are made with guys who can conjure up some magic that nobody else can.

In all competitions, he’s scored 10 and set up 9 [Transfermarkt], but you suspect if he’d been fit for the 5 league games he missed, those numbers would be higher. It’s not just about the raw statistics though; Jota is a born entertainer, the kind of player supporters respond to.

When he has the ball, it’s hard to stay in your seat.

Greg Taylor is not a poster bhoy like Jota is. But he’s more than adept at praising his teammates with accurate analysis, and seems like an excellent teammate. His effusive praise for Daizen Maeda says a lot about him, as much as it does Maeda.

The Scotland left-back is bang-on. Jota is a stand-out player, and he only needs the slightest opportunity to change a game.

Hopefully we’ll see plenty more magic for the Portuguese winger as the season comes to a thrilling conclusion.

Read more: Ange Postecoglou picks the two Celtic legends who’d thrive in his system