Jota Silva has been backed to get even better now he has worked his way into the Nottingham Forest XI.
Patience has been key for the attacker since his summer move from Vitoria Guimaraes. After 11 substitute appearances, he was handed his first Premier League start against Ipswich Town last month.
The 25-year-old has retained his spot in the team since then, making the line-up for two big games against the Manchester clubs last week. Although Forest’s visit to the Etihad Stadium ended in a 3-0 defeat to City last Wednesday, they bounced back by beating United 3-2 at Old Trafford.
Jota caught the eye with his enthusiastic celebrations when his side found the back of the net last Saturday. And according to one of his former teammates, such moments are typical of the Portuguese.
Pedro Matos played with the wide man early on in his career, at Sousense back in 2018/19. He is confident the best is still to come from Jota as his confidence builds up.
“I always believed in Jota's talent, but the truth is that the road to the Premier League is very difficult,” Matos said. “However, Jota always showed a dedication and a working mentality that made him capable of achieving great things.
“His determination and the way he dealt with difficulties along the way made me believe that he could achieve that goal. Now that he's in the Premier League, I'm very happy to see that he's made it and I believe he still has a lot to achieve. As for dreams, Jota is the kind of player who is never satisfied and is always looking for new challenges, so I'm sure he'll continue to strive for more.
“I'm proud to see Jota achieve so much success. When we played together at Sousense his talent and dedication to the game were already visible.
“He's always been a very focused player, with a great desire to improve and grow. The win against United is a reflection of the hard work and quality he has always shown and I'm not surprised to see him shining in the Premier League. He's an example of how hard work and perseverance can lead someone to achieve their goals.”
Jota’s route to the City Ground was an interesting one and incorporated overcoming several challenges. He climbed the football ladder in his native Portugal - including with two spells at fifth division side Sousense - and has spoken about how testing himself in the top tier of English football was always a dream.
“Jota has always had a very positive and ambitious mindset,” Matos said. “I remember him talking about his desire to make the leap to a more competitive league and eventually make it to international football.
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“It was always going to be an arduous path, but he was focused on his goal. We could see that he had a plan for the future and worked every day to achieve it.
“At Sousense, work ethic was always crucial. Despite being a district club, there was a strong commitment that every training session and every game was an opportunity to improve. Jota, for example, was one of those who stood out the most in this respect.
“It didn't matter if it was a training session or a game, he always gave his best. He was never satisfied with the bare minimum, he was always looking for ways to evolve and help the team grow. Sousense is a club that encourages discipline, humility and a constant desire to learn, and this helped mould the winning mentality of many players, including Jota.
“The conditions at Sousense weren't the most luxurious but the working environment was very good. It's a family club with a small but solid structure. The most important thing was the passion and dedication of the players, and Jota always adapted well to that reality. We didn't have the same resources as the Premier League clubs, but there was a great spirit of togetherness and a willingness to work.”
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