In the wake of Jota's Celtic exit screed, his former attacking partner Daizen Maeda insists he is gearing up to show Parkhead fans what he can do.
The Hoops lost the Portuguese winger in a big-money move to Al-Ittihad this month, with Brendan Rodgers and his new-look side banking a hefty £25million in the process for their Champions League crusade. The Treble winning winger found the lure of the ever-growing Saudi Pro League too much to turn down and he has been showered with a warm welcome already in Jeddah, joining world beaters Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante on his new adventure.
The Celtic fans had been wondering when a typical emotional exit message would come, before Jota dropped a lengthy goodbye that had supporters yearning again for the 24-year-old. In it, he referenced how the Parkhead fanatics loved him more than 'previous girlfriends' and that he would sit down with his children one day to tell them about his time in Glasgow.
And moments after Jota's message dropped in the Middle East, Maeda responded with a short but effective message in relation to him signing a new deal with Rodgers' men. He took to social media to say: "I will do it," while altering his message slightly when quote tweeting the official Japanese Celtic account with "I will fight."
The 25-year-old penned a fresh contract this week to keep him in Glasgow's east end until 2027, following in the footsteps of countryman and in-demand star Kyogo who did the same earlier in the week. His new boss Rodgers commented that the forward's versatility will prove useful for his squad but that he challenged him to score more goals.
He said: "You can't underestimate his work-rate. He's different to other players but what he gives the team, he can play in a number of positions. He sets the tone for the pressing, on the left-side or through the middle like he does for Japan. He presses and works tirelessly and we can work with him to add more goals to his game. You will see him constantly improve."
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