Brendan Rodgers has reacted to Jota’s goal on his return to Celtic from the bench this afternoon against Motherwell at Fir Park to secure a 3-1 win.
Having re-joined Celtic on Monday from Rennes, Jota was serenaded by the traveling Celtic faithful during his warm-up before the game. He made sure to give every Celtic supporter value for the money they paid with a goal in the final moments of the match after Daizen Maeda played the ball straight to him for a tap-in.
It was a special moment for everyone, including Rodgers, who played a vital role in bringing Jota back to Celtic, with the Portuguese winger having concerns about returning and potentially tarnishing his Hoops legacy from his first spell. The Irishman discussed his own return to Celtic with Jota, and how successful it has been, with the Celtic boss ultimately getting the deal over the line.
Post-match, Rodgers discussed the special goal from Celtic’s superstar from Portugal.
He said: (Sky Sports), “He’s obviously a long way away from the fitness level that he would need to be at to be in the team but he’s certainly got to build himself there.
“But what you can see in that cameo was his quality. He has tricks, he has the ability, he’s a Celtic winger. He really can beat someone. He looks after the ball, he can run in behind and he has an eye for a goal.
“So pleased for him. It has been a really challenging period for him in his time away but he knows that everyone appreciates him here. Everyone loves him here, so to get that goal at the end was just a real great finish to the game for us.”
Jota’s return to Celtic has been a major talking point, especially following the departure of Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes. With the Hoops chasing a domestic treble and set to face Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League knockout play-off in 10 days at Celtic Park, Rodgers will be hoping the 25-year-old can quickly regain full fitness and play a vital role in the run-in.
