With four goals and two assists in just eight Premiership appearances since his shock return to Celtic, despite admitting himself that he was some way short of full fitness after a tumultuous spell away from the club, Jota seems to be doing pretty well since his ‘homecoming’.
And the winger concedes that indeed, he does seem to be ahead of where he thought he may be at this stage, as opposition full backs will no doubt testify. He has served notice though that there is much more to come.
Jota famously enjoyed a summer of globetrotting after his first season on loan at Celtic from Benfica, where fans of the club seemed to track him down wherever he went and tried to twist his arm into making his move to Glasgow a permanent one. Not that he needed much persuasion.
This summer though, the Portuguese is focused on one thing – coming back next season as the best version of himself, and better than he has ever been.
“Yeah, Jota 2.0!” Jota said.
“He's getting ready for it. Let's see. This time they won't catch me! I really hope so. Imagine if it's not.
“But fortunately, things have been going in a very good way. I just want to keep on track and to see where this can lead me.
“I've heard that a couple of times [that I’ve been doing better than expected]. But on myself, I still feel like I have some time to achieve what I see for myself. I'm putting no pressure on that.
“I just want to do the daily work so I can achieve it, and whenever it comes, it comes.
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“I think Celtic is home for me. It's a place where I feel really comfortable, and it couldn't have been a better choice for this new path of my career.”
Another thing making Jota feel at home is his new furry friend, who he has been enjoying walking in the Scottish countryside. His use of the local dialect to describe his dog’s diminutive stature also hints at how comfortable he is here.
“It's a very international dog,” he said.
“He's a toy poodle from France. But he has been everywhere already, like Portugal, France, Ireland, Scotland.
“But it's a wee dog. He's like six months. So far, he's been enjoying it. But he's really tiny, which is really funny. When the wind comes, he goes!”
Back on the field, Jota is relishing the chance to improve himself further under the guidance of manager Brendan Rodgers, and he sees some similarities between his new head coach and his previous Celtic manager, Ange Postecoglou.
“I really like the approach Brendan has with the players and the communication he has,” he said.
“For me, it was just really easy to come and adapt again and be with the lads because of the connection, it was really good.
“I think there are similarities in their game. Both managers have similarities, but everyone is different. Brendan has his own ideas, Ange has his own ideas.
“It's different timings as well, different teams, different players. The structure of Celtic is here, and I think that's the most important. Then it's just a matter of putting it all together and fighting for the same thing.
“It's a tough job [as a winger under both of them], yeah, but that's a good thing. Because then we get the reward.
“Obviously, I've been here only for two months, so I think it's not enough time as well to see much of the differences between what one was doing and what another was doing.
“For me, it's good because it's a way I like to play.”
Postecoglou is of course rather struggling at the moment with Tottenham Hotspur, and was accused of goading his own fans following their equaliser against Chelsea on Thursday night, a goal that was subsequently chalked off as Spurs fell to another disappointing defeat.
Jota though offered support to the man who gave him his chance at Celtic, and who enjoyed so much success during his own time in Glasgow.
He said: “I'm not going to comment on what's happening, because that's not anything to do with us, but on Ange's behalf, and from my own perspective, he was a really good manager, the one who gave me the opportunity to have my chance, my real chance in football.
“He's someone who is really demanding, and he has his own philosophies, and I think once you've bought into it, then you just fly.
“I think our team was really good back then under him, and I wish him always the best.”
