Paulo Bernardo has revealed his excitement at linking up with Jota once again, as the two Portuguese talents prepare to share the pitch at Celtic for the first time.
The midfielder, who joined on loan from Benfica in the summer, admitted that Jota was a huge influence on his decision to move to Glasgow, having watched his former clubmate flourish in green and white before securing a £25m move to Saudi Arabia.
Bernardo, speaking ahead of Celtic’s Champions League showdown against Aston Villa, reflected on their early years at Benfica and how their paths have now crossed again at Parkhead. [Celtic TV]
“It’s nice to be with him again. We played together in Benfica for one pre-season. I think I knew him as a kid. He was always at Benfica, like me.
“I’m really excited to have him [here] and play with him again.
“I just said to him, if he needs something now, I can help. Before, he told me that if I needed something, I could count on him.
“It was just one pre-season [we played together] because he’s three years older than me, and I was in a few teams below him. But he was unbelievable at Benfica, and he was unbelievable at Celtic. I hope he does better here now.
“I think Jota showed a lot of Portuguese young players that Celtic is a very good club to be at. It definitely helped me to be here now.
“He’s really happy. I talked to him and he’s really excited to be part of the club again and to be here with us. He just wants to play football again.
“He did very well the last two years when he was here. The fans love him, and I think he loves the fans too.
“I’m excited to play with him and he just wants to play football.”
Jota’s return was sensational. For 18 months he’d been linked by various outlets to a Celtic reunion, but they never seemed to have any substance.
Yet, last Wednesday, when reports first emerged, it felt different and that there could be something behind them. Fast forward five days, and he’s at Parkhead with a scarf above his head, completing a £8 million transfer.
It leaves Celtic with plenty of options on the wings, with Kuhn, Maeda and Jota all looking for a starting spot. Behind them will be Yang and Forrest, with Palma also still at the club.
A top striker would be the cherry on the cake for Celtic’s attack.
