Jota admits there was no single moment that convinced him to sign for Celtic permanently.
The winger became a huge fans favourite during his season on loan from Benfica, scoring 13 times in 40 appearances and providing 14 assists. That return made it a no-brainer for the Hoops to bring him back to Parkhead for the long-term. A £6.5million fee was included as part of the loan agreement with Benfica. All that needed to be sorted out were personal terms, which was finally done last week and the Portuguese put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Scottish Premiership champions.
The wait for the news caused a few nerves amongst fans, however. A similar deal for Cameron Carter-Vickers was sealed last month. Jota was expected to follow quickly, but talks seemed to drag on as the winger enjoyed his summer, being snapped on holiday in Ibiza with Carl Starfelt before heading to a music festival in his homeland.
But all the i’s were dotted and t's crossed and Jota jetted out with the squad for their pre-season tour of Austria and the Czech Republic. He wasn't in the squad for Tuesday’s 7-0 thumping of SC Wiener Viktoria, but could feature as a fully fledged Celt for the first time against Rapid Vienna on Saturday.
And he’s explained how the whole Celtic experience convinced him that his future lay in Glasgow rather than Lisbon. Taking part in a Twitter Q&A on the club’s official channel, he said: "I don't think there was one point. It was just throughout the season with the games, the training, the fans, and being crowned champions – everything in one just made me make this decision!"
You know you’ve made an impact when the fans give you your own song. Jota’s anthem was a regular on the terraces last season, with a goal against Rangers further endearing him to the Parkhead faithful and he can't wait to hear it again this season.
“Yes definitely!” He said. “That was something that I was really happy and grateful that the fans did for me. It was an incentive to keep on playing and delivering and just to stay humble and keep on working hard."
Not only is it a new experience on the park for Jota, but he has to adjust to life away from the Portuguese capital off the pitch as well. Last season’s spell will have helped in that regard, but there are still some cultural differences that will take some getting used to. "We have dinner here at 6.30pm when I would normally have snacks at this time and eat at 9.30pm!” He said. “The biggest shock is the weather. Portugal has a lot of good weather and it’s the opposite here."
There’s also the local lingo to master. Jota’s English is good, but it has a certain Glaswegian flavour up here, especially when the dressing room banter is flying. And he’s revealed the specific parts of teammates’ patter he enjoys the most. Jota added: "I like the words like 'perfect' and 'correct' with the rolled Rs. But my favourite is definitely 'Aye'!"
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