Former Celtic star Charlie Nicholas insists Jota has been Scottish football's top player this season but reckons the winger flattered to deceive in the Champions League.
The 23-year-old is adored by his Parkhead public and has kicked on since turning his wildly-successful loan into a permanent £6m deal in the summer. Jota scored in both Leipzig and Madrid, however, it was the latter strike in the Bernabeu which irked Nicholas - who was left miffed by the star's joyous reaction to a free kick which hit the net with his side 5-0 down in their final fixture in Group F.
Nicholas sees Jota as the best in class domestically but he believes significant improvements must be sought if the Benfica academy graduate earns a chance to do so next season. And the 60-year-old reckons manager Ange Postecoglou may have expected better from one of his most vital players. Speaking in his Express column, he said: "Some pundits and supporters talked him up to star at the Champions League level, but I wasn't among them. Boss Ange Postecoglou may even have been slightly disappointed with him, although I accept his injury didn't help as Celtic crashed out in the group stage.He might have scored a late consolation goal in a 5-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Bernabeu. But I didn't like it when he said it was the best moment of his life. OK, he netted against Real - and I never got that opportunity. Not many people do!
