Jota Celtic transfer coup highlighted as game when star 'smashed Real Madrid' revealed

Jota made a name for himself at Celtic last season with his smart play - something that's been evident in his attacking arsenal since he was a teenager at Benfica.

The 23-year-old winger scored 13 goals with 14 assists during a loan stint at Parkhead last term and has now put pen to paper on a permanent deal until 2027. He was part of the Benfica youth team which reached the 2017 UEFA Youth League final, scoring twice in a 4-2 semi-final win against Real Madrid.

His U19s coach Joao Tralhao knew he had a special player on his hands as he watched him fly past Achraf Hakimi, now at French champions PSG. He says it's no surprise that the qualities present that day have translated into his Celtic career, telling the Athletic: “Jota was very different. When he arrived in the under-19s, he was only 16 years old. When you are the younger player, sometimes you are a little shy or don’t do so much.

"You also have a lot of outstanding players technically, in one-v-ones, dribbling, crossing, shooting. Really top players. But at that age, it’s not usual to care about the tactical behaviour so much.

“He was so consistent. He didn’t really do anything other than give a top performance, one game after another.

“He smashed Real Madrid. The first 20 minutes, we were beating them 3-0. Their right-back at the time was Achraf Hakimi but Jota destroyed him.

"After all the sessions, he would always ask a question about why we did what we did. That showed me he always wanted to learn and be better and that his best quality was his game intelligence and capacity to understand the game already for someone so young.”

Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou will no doubt see Jota as a key player for the upcoming 2022/23 season that will include a title