Jota has opened up on his international ambitions since returning to Celtic in January, following spells in Saudi Arabia and France.
The Portuguese winger is enjoying his second stint at Parkhead, but admits the dream of representing his country still lingers in the background.
While at Celtic during his first spell, Jota came close to achieving that goal. He was named in Portugal’s provisional squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, and Goncalo Ramos. However, he ultimately missed out on the final 26-man squad.
Now back in Glasgow, Jota remains grounded but optimistic about his chances of breaking through into the senior national team setup. [Celtic TV]
“Yes. Well, at the moment, I’m just thinking on Celtic. I know it’s a long road for that [international football].
“I would obviously be proud of that, but I also acknowledge that the quality of the Portugal national team is very big and we have probably the best generation of all time. So, the ones who make it, they should be proud because it’s definitely something big. And on my behalf, I know that I still need to do a lot to achieve that.
“That’s actually not something that concerns me. As long as I’m happy and playing football and doing my thing on the pitch, I’ll be fine.”
Jota has scored four goals and assisted twice since rejoining the Hoops, and if his form continues to climb, he could yet give the Portugal selectors something to think about. He’ll need to perform in Europe, too, though.
Rafael Leao and Diego Jota are currently battling for the left-wing spot. Both are top-quality players, and both operate in Jota’s preferred position. It certainly won’t be easy to get a call up for a squad.
For now though, his focus remains firmly on Celtic and contributing to their push for silverware.
