The heartwarming Jota quote that shows he gets exactly what Celtic is about

By Euan Davidson

November 23, 2021

For a Celtic loanee, often it’s about self-improvement, being part of a winning culture, and advertising yourself on a big stage; Jota is no ordinary Celtic loanee.

The Portuguese winger, fresh from doing his best George Michael impression, commented on the Bhoys’ big win at Hampden on the weekend. Celtic beat St Johnstone by a goal to nil, with Jota contributing big-time to the winning strike.

And Jota realised the symbolism that marked the day. The Celtic supporters unveiled two tributes to departed icon Bertie Auld, and kept up a relentless energy all game.

That wasn’t lost on the Portuguese winger. He said [Herald]:

“We believe in us, which is the most important thing, and I know many people are starting to believe in us as well. So just let us do our thing and we will see.

“It was good that we won the game because we knew [Bertie Auld] was a huge loss for Celtic and we wanted to give a last dance for Bertie Auld. I think we did him proud. Now we just have to keep going.”

Jota absolutely gets what’s important to Celtic supporters

You could write this off as lip service if you like. But to me, it illustrates a few key things.

The first is that Ange Postecoglou has stressed that what’s important to Celtic supporters should be important to the players. That’s in a few respects; whether it’s the legends who’ve worn the Hoops, or playing in a style befitting Celtic.

Secondly, Jota just so obviously gets what playing for Celtic is all about. It’s in the past, the present and the future. The standards, the sentiment. Losing on Saturday night, after the loss of Bertie Auld, would’ve been particularly hard to take.

He’ll undoubtedly be bombarded with questions about his future. Celtic are in the driving seat, obviously. But until there’s a resolution to whether Jota stays long-term, it’ll be what dominates conversation.

There’s nothing we, as supporters, can do about that though, other than try to convince the club it’s the right thing to do. Until then, just enjoy him. This is a player who plays with fearlessness, creativity and gallus. They’re not ten a penny.

And he knows his history, and the importance of it. That’s key.

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