By Ethan Barlow

Celtic’s Portuguese superstar Jota made a spectacular return to Glasgow at the end of last month and the winger seems to be back to his old self after 18 disastrous months in Saudi Arabia and France.  

And tears after scoring his first goal on his return have been described as relief by Scottish sport psychologist Dr Paul McCarthy.

Jota is a player known across Scotland for his skills and showboating style of play, and is playing with a confidence some could only imagine a few months ago.

However after his £25 million move to Al Ittihad in 2023, Jota looked a shadow of the personality that first arrived at Celtic Park in 2021 and on his return to Glasgow, the outgoing figure looked a little jaded in his opening press conference despite returning to a place he has called “home”.  

Jota came off the bench at Fir Park on his debut, scoring and sharing an emotional moment with the Celtic support, with the goal on his return, bringing tears to the former Benfica man’s eyes. Following the match, his emotional outburst left Sky Sports’ pundits Kris Boyd and Aiden McGeady puzzled by the reaction, with the pair even joking about the incident.  

Dr McCarthy explained what might have caused Jota’s outpour of emotions: “The experience for Jota will only be known to him. But you could speculate, he’s been somewhere, at a different club. To come back and prove yourself again, there’s so much emotion in that. Relief, of course, but also the happiness and joy, and connection of being welcomed, wanted and celebrated.” 

Jota has already scored and assisted since his return from Rennes, and everything would point to the 25-year-old returning to the glorious times of his first spell.

Dr McCarthy believes returning to familiar and comfortable environments helps regain confidence and maximise performance at a positive mental capacity and said: “There’s several things; social support is a really critical factor. For Jota coming back, there is a familiarity, many of the people will still be here in the period he has gone and returned. There will also be a comfort and understanding, and knowing the city that surrounds the training ground and the personal.” 

Thierry Henry, Andres Iniesta and Michael Carrick are some of the many ex-players to share their toughest times in not just the sport, but their lives and Dr McCarthy gave his verdict: “It is the post-career reflections, that are sad in a way. Because the help they were looking for, either they didn’t choose to get it themselves or it wasn’t provided by the club. The more we have these services that are accessible and available, the easier it is for players to look after themselves.”