Jota has been one of the revelations of the Portuguese Abroad contingent this season, with his loan move from Benfica to Celtic proving an inspired coup for the Scottish club.
The Hoops have ignited the career of the 22-year-old after a frustrating season on loan in Spain with Real Valladolid last term. Since moving to Glasgow, Jota has already scored six goals and added craft and flair to Ange Postecoglu’s side in the Premiership.
His form was recognised on Monday with the SPFL Player of the Month award for October, and spoke with an intent to continue his progress as Celtic battle on several fronts this season, including the fight to wrestle back the league title from fierce rivals Rangers.
“I don’t want to stop here,” he said. “It is easy to reach this level, the difficult thing is to maintain it. I need consistency, so I have to work more and more.
“It’s the first time I’ve played regularly in a season. I’ve never had this before, now I’m playing a lot of games so it’s been good. But I don’t want to stop there. I want to be a better player. What did I learn from playing more? I learned that I have to drink a lot more water and sleep more to rest [smiles.]”
🌟 | Jota is the Scottish Premiership Player of the Month for October!
— Próxima Jornada (@ProximaJornada1) November 22, 2021
👏 💎 pic.twitter.com/HWbY41PTwZ
Pundits, as well as Celtic fans, are already urging the club to activate a purchase option to sign Jota from Benfica for €7.5m. When asked about the subject, the Lisbon native refused to give much away, insisting his thoughts need not drift too far towards what may happen during the upcoming transfer window.
“Many people ask me about it, but my focus is not there but on the team, on our games and victories. I just want to be a good player and a good person every day.
“I always think about the present and not the future. I wake up every day thinking about what I can do to improve each day. I just want to enjoy football and be happy, without thinking about the future.
“At Benfica I was used to always winning, when you don’t win a game, there’s trouble. It’s the same responsibility here, as you have to win every game and that’s what we are trying to do. The philosophy, idea and process are all there, so we just want to enjoy our game and do the best.”
By Sean Gillen