Why Jota and Celtic just seem like 'perfect' fit

One question that lingered after Jota traded Rennes for Celtic and and Kyogo Furuhashi went in the other direction last week, was whether the talismanic Portuguese winger could recapture the form and impact he had during his first spell at the Scottish club.

His half-hour cameo in Celtic's 3-1 win at Motherwell went some way to answering that and his recruitment would seem fantastic business, assuming the Jota of old is back.

He's not match fit. He endured a fairly torrid 18 months after leaving Glasgow, first at Al-Ittihad after his £25m move, then France where he, again, struggled for game time.

But Celtic seems to be the place where he thrives, and he's coming into what should be the start of his prime, aged just 25.

"It's a huge moment for Jota," manager Brendan Rodgers told BBC Scotland shortly after watching his new recruit settle the outcome with an added-time strike at Fir Park.

"That's the very reason he's come back. It's important for creative players to feel wanted and appreciated. The environment has to be right for them. Celtic is the perfect environment for him.

"He's going to be a big asset for us."

The tears he shed just as he celebrated in front of the Celtic fans after his goal demonstrated just how "right" that environment must seem in his eyes. Pure joy and a sense of relief, rolled into one.

The grass is always greener they say but, in Jota's case, that proved badly wrong, potentially damaging to his career and, no doubt, his confidence.

One wonders with hindsight if he would have made the same move, despite the substantial financial gain he made?

He undoubtedly felt wanted during his first spell at the club. In the Premiership alone, he scored 21 goals and provided 21 assists in just 62 games.

His status soared toward the end of season 2022-23, when he scored the winner in a 3-2 victory over Rangers, then did the same in the Scottish Cup semi-final win over the same opposition a few weeks later. Then came a last-minute third as that trophy was won in what would be his last hurrah.

He left, and it seemed the end of a what was a two-way love-in between him and the Celtic support, until now.

"That was always the question - are you going to get the same Jota back again after he's probably gone through a period where his confidence has been shattered?" asked former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner on BBC Scotland's Sportsound.

"He's got the ability, you could see it when he came on the pitch, he's sharp enough, he looks quick enough.

"Why did that not come to the fore in his other clubs? That would be the question most of us would probably be asking - is he going to be the same Jota?

"He did well when he came on, we saw glimpses of his old self and getting the goal will give him confidence."

What will give him even more was the reception he received after delivering that moment that seemed as though he'd written the script himself.

A clinching goal announced the Jota of old may just be back indeed.