Former Rangers striker and Ibrox cheerleader Kris Boyd couldn’t hide his displeasure as Jota marked his return to Celtic with a goal on his second Hoops debut at Fir Park this afternoon in stoppage time.
With Jota’s return to Celtic being one of the biggest returns of the last 20 years, a player who left for £25 million has returned 18 months later in what will be a transfer that gives Boyd sleepless nights.
The Portuguese winger proved himself to be an incredible signing during his first spell at the club, with his departure in 2023 met with immense sadness. It’s a return that has come a lot sooner than anyone could have dreamed.
Jota wasted no time showing the rest of Scotland that he is back, scoring against Motherwell and clearly meaning business. Not content with riding on the back of his first spell, he, like Brendan Rodgers, is determined to add to his Celtic legacy.
Given the fact he consistently stepped up against Rangers, it’s a return that Boyd is clearly unhappy about, attempting to dampen the jubilant mood at the full-time whistle.
Boyd said: (Sky Sports), “The only thing missing from that pass from Maeda was a box of tissues.”
Jota’s emotional response, crying after scoring a stoppage-time goal, is an emotion many supporters—both in the stands and watching at home—will relate to. It was great to see Jota show exactly what the goal meant to him.
The comments from Boyd post-match will likely be criticised by many. If it had been a player from the other side of Glasgow, Boyd likely wouldn’t have used the same tone, highlighting his consistent harshness towards Celtic.
