‘I know what I want to achieve’ – Jota keen to keep improving at Celtic

Celtic winger Jota aims to keep conquering new heights after acclimatising to life back in Glasgow.

The Portuguese player has scored four goals in 12 games since re-signing for the club after largely frustrating spells in Saudi Arabia and France.

Jota quickly managed to show flashes of his talent and threat despite admitting he was well short of peak match-fitness when he joined Celtic from Rennes in late January.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s trip to face St Johnstone, he said: “I think it has been a good couple of games. Still trying to be in my best shape and I know that will come definitely. But happy at the moment with how things are going.

“We never know how far we can reach, right? So I’m not going to say that I’m aiming for this and then I can actually aim for something else. So I just go day by day working hard and trying to be the best of myself.

“There’s always things to get better at and obviously winning titles and making very good performances on the Champions League, that’s what you aim for in the end.

“But there’s so many things we can always achieve. When you reach a mountain, the top of the mountain, there’s always another one to reach again. You reach something, so there’s always something new.

“I’m no different to that. I know where I want to go, I know what I want to achieve and that’s it.”

There is no great secret to Jota’s attempts to build on his promising start.

“There’s nothing better than playing games,” the 25-year-old said. “You’ll develop a lot once you’re in the zone in the games and you can actually feel the things that happen over there.

“I always say no amount of training will give you what the game can give to you. You can train really hard, that’s important, but the game is always the ultimate thing.

“For me, it’s what I get most passionate about and that’s what I want to perform.”

The former Benfica player spent the best part of two seasons at Celtic Park under Ange Postecoglou before being signed by Brendan Rodgers but the adaptation has been seamless.

“The structure in Celtic is very well defined,” he said. “Whoever comes, there’s a way of doing things. Things are made for you to actually perform and to be your best version.

“It’s a really easy job as long as you are competitive and you can actually work hard and be involved in the dynamics.

“If there’s a new manager, obviously with Brendan, he adds other things. He complements the team in another way because every manager is different. He adds some things, Brendan adds others. Then it’s just a matter of adapting.

“The important stuff is that Celtic for me is like I never left. When I came in for the first day, it felt like it was the same. That gave me a lot of comfortable space to live in.”

Meanwhile, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers reiterated that Kasper Schmeichel faces a spell on the sidelines with a shoulder injury despite the club issuing photographs of the goalkeeper training on Friday.

“He’s clearly not damaged his feet, so he can use his feet and work on his touch and whatnot,” Rodgers said.

“I think the timeline we’ve been given has been five to six weeks by the medical experts, but that could be sooner. He feels good.

“He’s got some mobility, he’s got rotation there, but we just obviously have to be careful with the blade and his shoulders.”