Jota was born in Lisbon on 30 March 1999 (age 27) and came through Benfica before Celtic became the place where his senior career properly took shape. A left winger by trade, he joined Celtic from Benfica in August 2021, initially bringing the familiar mix of promise and rough edges that tends to follow gifted wide players.
That first Celtic spell quickly became more than a development stop. His best league season came in 2022-23, when he scored 11 goals in 33 appearances, and his part in the side was substantial rather than decorative. Across his Celtic years, including his later return, he won three Premiership titles, one Scottish Cup and two League Cups, as well as finishing runner-up in the Scottish Cup once.
In July 2023 he left Celtic for Al-Ittihad in a deal worth around £25m. The move took him into a different football environment and was followed by a spell at Rennes, before he found firmer footing again back at Celtic. Those years between Celtic spells gave his career a slightly uneven shape, though hardly an unusual one for a winger whose value has often been tied to rhythm and confidence.
His current market value is around £4.5m, according to Transfermarkt. Jota’s career so far is best understood through Celtic: first as the club that sharpened him, then as the place he returned to after the Al-Ittihad and Rennes detour.
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