IT was not something that he had planned in advance. His reaction when the ball struck the back of the net was instinctive. But Jota’s celebration after his goal against Rangers at Parkhead back in September has become iconic for Celtic fans.
The Portuguese winger ran over to the fans in the Lisbon Lions Stand, bowed his head and raised his right fist into the air after he had floated a sublime chip over the head of opposition goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin to put his side two ahead.
It was a gesture not dissimilar to the “Black Power” salute that American athlete Tommie Smith famously made when he was standing on the podium at the Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968 after receiving his gold medal.
