The smile on Kasper Schmeichel’s face said it all, Celtic – and Parkhead – is a special place, not least on Champions League nights.
To think that anyone – even in pursuit of their own dreams – would wish to move on from such surroundings is hard to fathom, with the grass certainly not always greener for those who opt to depart.
You only have to look at the Old Firm’s three record sales to see that life outside of the green and white can prove rather grey, with former hero Kieran Tierney now a forgotten man at Arsenal after five injury-ravaged years in London, while Matt O’Riley’s time on the south coast has also started in a similar vein, after the Denmark international limped off less than ten minutes into his Brighton and Hove Albion debut.
As for Portuguese wizard, Jota, the winger’s £25m exit to Saudi Arabia went down like a lead balloon, with the 25-year-old now on the books at Ligue 1 side Rennes, after making just 25 appearances for Al-Ittihad in total.
It’s been a sad situation for a player who dazzled in Glasgow with 54 goals and assists in just 83 games, with Hoops supporters no doubt praying that a return to the club may be in store before too long – not least due to the woes of the man who was meant to replace him.
Celtic’s ‘next Jota’
The departure of the former Benfica starlet in the summer of 2023 no doubt left a sizeable void for returning manager, Brendan Rodgers, with the fleet-footed star having been a real creative outlet on the flanks under former boss, Ange Postecoglou.
In need of a suitable successor in that left-wing berth, the champions fended off rival interest from Old Firm foes, Rangers, for the signing of Honduran international, Luis Palma, who joined from Greek side Aris Thessaloniki for around £3.5m.
On the face of it, the new man’s debut season in Scottish football looked to have been something of a success, as he ended the term with ten goals and ten assists to his name in all competitions.
That included notable efforts against both Atletico Madrid and Feyenoord in the Champions League, with many – including one podcaster – suggesting that he could well be the heir to Jota’s throne. He was even lauded for a “Jota-esque dink” by journalist John McGinley to set up O’Riley during the 4-1 thrashing of Hearts back in October.
Like all good things, however, such form was quickly curtailed by the turn of the year, with Palma’s place in the squad, let alone the starting lineup, now looking perilous.
Palma’s form in 2024
Following a lightning start at Celtic Park, the new year brought with it a real change in fortunes for the wideman, as he provided just two goal involvements in the league from January until May.
Amid the resurgence of a certain James Forrest, Palma quickly tumbled down the pecking order as the season progressed, notably failing to even make it on the field during the Scottish Cup final triumph over Rangers.
Those woes have continued into the new campaign, in truth, with Rodgers tending to favour a wing pairing of Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn thus far, with Forrest the first-choice reserve.
Four appearances in 2024/25 to date have yielded no goals or assists for the forgotten man, with the £6k-per-week asset having particularly struggled during the recent clash at home to Championship side, Falkirk.
The 16-cap international was hooked on the hour mark with the hosts having been trailing at the time, with Football Scotland’s Blair Meikle awarding him a measly 4/10 match rating, while writing that he ‘really didn’t stake a claim for more game time’, amid what was a ‘poor afternoon’.
Having also only featured in two of the club’s five league games this season, it would appear that Rodgers’ faith in the player has significantly dwindled, with it looking as if a January exit may well be an inevitability.
Once promising to be the man who could ease the loss of Jota, Palma is now on a steep decline, with work to be done to change his situation over the coming months.
It’s fair to say that, on reflection, the next Jota he is not…
