Jota

Born in Portugal on the 30th of March 1999, the Portuguese forward 'Jota' Neves Filipe graces the left wing for Celtic. Standing at 5ft 8in (1.75m) and weighing in at 10st 7lb (67kg), he dons the number 7 jersey. Transfermarkt estimates his current market value to be around £7.5m, with a contract at Celtic Park set to run until June 2030. Jota's journey began in Portugal, where he joined the ranks of Benfica as a trainee in July 2007. His debut season (2018-2019) saw him make four appearances for Benfica's first team in league matches, with his second season (2019-2020) featuring him on pitch in 19 league matches. In October 2020, Jota temporarily left the Portuguese Liga for a loan stint in Spain with Real Valladolid. During the 2020-2021 season, he made 17 appearances and notched up a solitary goal in LaLiga. Following his return to Portugal, he didn't stay long, as Celtic swooped in, securing him on loan in August 2021. The 2021-2022 season saw Jota make a remarkable impact at Celtic, scoring ten goals in 29 appearances. He continued his fine form in the 2022-2023 season, with 11 goals in 33 appearances. In the current season (2024-2025), he has already notched up four goals in 11 appearances. In July 2022, with his value at an estimated £6.5m, Celtic made the move permanent, signing Jota from Benfica. However, his time in Scotland was interrupted in July 2023, as he made the unexpected move to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Professional League for a hefty £25m. He made 16 appearances and scored four league goals for the Saudi side. In August 2024, Jota once again moved clubs, this time to Rennes in France's Ligue 1, costing the French side £6.8m. He made nine appearances and scored a single goal in the current season (2024-2025) before being transferred back to Celtic in January 2025 for around £8.5m. In addition to his league performances, Jota took part in Scottish Cup 2024-2025 for Celtic and made three appearances, scoring one goal, and also made two appearances in the Champions League 2024-2025 for Celtic. Our keen-eyed lad has certainly left his mark, and there's no doubt we're thrilled to have him home again.