CELTIC star Jota has told how he faced his own DEMONS during his 18 month injury agony.

The Portuguese winger has returned to action after undergoing career-threatening knee surgery.

Jota, 27, has looked good in two substitute appearances against Motherwell and Hearts.

But when asked if his injury had changed him, he said, “Yeah, definitely.

“I think I’ve met some demons and I’ve had some good talks with them.

“I think we developed a good relationship afterwards and we are all on the same table nowadays and we can laugh about everything that happened.

“In the end, I think if you don’t grow from a situation like this, it’s because you didn’t learn anything.

“So in my personal situation, I think I could step away, see different things from other perspectives and value some stuff that maybe I wasn’t valuing before.

“And now it’s good because I have a clear idea of what I want, what I am.

“I might have had it before as well, but now it’s like a bit clearer.

“So in the end, it’s good that I had it because if I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be in this position right now.

“There’s no lost time because in the end, I grew a lot. It had to be what it had to be and I didn’t lose.

“I actually GAINED because in here, I’m way stronger nowadays. So it will help me definitely.”

Jota got crocked in April 2025 when Brendan Rodgers’ Celts clinched the title against Dundee United at Tannadice.

It was initially anticipated the winger would be out for nine months.
But it ended up being TWICE as long.

Jota added: “It’s like a rollercoaster of emotions.

“We could stay here for like two weeks for me to speak about everything that was going on in my head.

“Like, what can I say? I mean in the end, it’s part of everyone’s life, you know? Everyone struggles. The thing is that in our job, I just cannot be out there.

“But certainly other people, and I always try to see from this perspective, like they have worse problems.

“I always think there’s someone in a worse position than you.

“So I’m just grateful to – and I think I’m privileged to – be in such a wonderful sport and to have all of these experiences.

“Sunday it shows that it matters, like all of the struggle. It matters because these moments are unique.

“I was really happy. It was a moment I was expecting for months and I think no better day to do it with a good result, a good performance and just in front of our fans. So it’s a happy day.”

Jota is now aiming to get back to his best at Celtic.

He added: “If I didn’t have that aim, I wouldn’t be helpful for Celtic if I was happy with the things I did before.

“So I’m very positive that good things will come.

“I’m accepting the present and how things are going and I’m trusting the process.

“I’m not thinking too much forward. I just want to do the day-to-day thing and I think that’s the way to go.

“There’s obviously metrics and a process to it and that stuff also belongs to the decision to the manager.

“Like we need to be clever on my situation obviously because I stopped a lot of time and we don’t want to make any mistakes.

“So I think we’re in a comfortable situation when everyone realises what needs to be done for me to grow up and to feel better and healthier. It’s just trusting the process.”

Jota on the wing…

Jordi Altena on his a***.

Celtic supporters stood up and roared as their Portuguese superstar winger sold a dummy to his Hearts marker.

There and then everyone thought, ‘he’s back.’

It had been over a year-and-a-half since entertainer Jota had those home fans up out their seats at Parkhead.

And going by the way poor Altena bought one swivel of his hips, and pretend pass, the 27 year-old has lost none of his ability on the ball.

For Jota, though, just being out on that pitch was a dream come true again having been out for so long.

And asked what got him through these past 18 months, he said: “Just the passion for football, I think that’s my compass.

“I could clearly see that during the months I was away. And my love for football is IMMENSE.

“I could prove that because maybe someone else wouldn’t want to come back because of the struggle.

“Some guys just don’t have that in themselves.

“I think that was my fuel to keep on working every day, to be healthy and fit, even if things weren’t going that way.

“There’s a solution for everything. You just need to accept the present and keep on believing that good things will come.

“It’s very painful because you want to help the team and you can’t, and you don’t know when you will be again.

“But you just need to rewire inside and see the positives.

“The happiest thing in life for me is to play football.

“I couldn’t in the last year.

“So right now, every time I step on a training pitch or a football pitch, for me it’s everything.

“That’s why I’m enjoying so much and valuing this so much.”

Jota’s injury hell started in April last year when he went down awkwardly at Tannadice on the day Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic were crowded title champions.

It didn’t initially look too serious.

But within hours it became clear he was facing a major rehabilitation.
As weeks turned to months and then over a year, some wondered if Jota would ever get back playing again.

But not the man himself.

He added with a smile, “Oh, come on.

“No, obviously this is my dream, it’s my passion, and I was always being fuelled by this.

“There’s moments where you reflect, there’s moments where you feel like you’re down and you cannot see any light, but that doesn’t mean that you stop believing.

“You just need to find another way and that’s what I was trying to do all the time.

“And every case is different.

“My situation is not the same situation as another player.

“But in the end, my aim was always to come back fit.

“Whatever time I need to take, because I still have a long career in front of me and I’m still young.

“So there’s no rush, I was just thinking ‘let’s do everything correctly and just trust the process.’

“We could spend like two weeks in here speaking about what’s a setback or what’s not a setback.

“It’s not a clear trajectory. It’s not a perfect line.

“It’s not every day we’ll get better.

“Maybe you get better, then you go down, but then you go up again and you’re already better than what you were before. Do you know what I’m saying?

“So it’s just like a mountain where you keep on building and then eventually you reach the peak.”

That process was gruelling physically as well as mentally.

Asked how he got through it, Jota added: “Family. I think that’s the foundation of everything.

“And having them day-by-day next to me and knowing that no matter what, they will always be there – like when I go home – I think it’s the best feeling someone can have.

“I had mine every day waiting for me to come home.

“And once I know they’re safe, I know that, OK, this is already a very good thing because in the end, everyone wants to have a healthy family and someone that you can build a life on.

“I’m no different from anyone, even though I’m a footballer obviously, but that was always my preoccupation.

“Like, ‘Okay, I’m not in the best position at the moment because I’m injured, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop living my life.

“There’s more things in life from football. And I had to rewire again to get that.”

Jota is now philosophical about football. He’s got no big targets or ambitions ahead of him. It’s literally just one step at a time, day by day. And just being out on the grass it enough for now.

He added: “Just enjoy football. There’s no future for me now. It’s just to enjoy fully because it’s not granted that we’ll be here tomorrow or next week. So I cannot predict too much stuff.

“When I predicted, everything was the other way around.”

And the standing ovation the Celtic supporters gave him on Sunday will live with him forever.

He added: “That means what my life with Celtic was, is and always will be. It’s a reciprocal relationship.

“We’ve built on this for a long time and the love I received from them it’s also because of the things that we achieved.

“So on my plate, I just want to guarantee that I will keep on trying to do everything that I can to help the team and to give joy and happiness to the fans whenever they come.”