Celtic cup hero shares cryptic message as ex-Rangers star urges 49ers to make ‘no brainer’ striker signing

Returning Celtic star Jota was all smiles as he fired in the fifth and final goal in a 5-0 thrashing against St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-final.

It marks the Portuguese’ fifth league goal since returning to Glasgow in January after unsuccessful stints in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad and an equally frustrating six month stint at Rennes where he made just nine league appearances.

Some doubted whether the 26-year-old would be the same player as the one that left Parkhead in 2023 but he’s so far been really impressive and is on course to play in his second Scottish Cup final after scoring in his last final at Hampden during a 3-1 win over Inverness CT in 2023. Jota has slotted seamlessly back into the Celtic team and shared an emotional post on social media to highlight the win.

Jota shares emotional cryptic post

After scoring against St Johnstone, Portuguese winger Jota shared a post on Instagram which reads: “Eternal echoes untouched by time.”

It features two images, with the first being the Celtic fans celebrating the goal and the second being Jota celebrating his strike with his teammates after topping up a joyous afternoon for the team after losing to the Saints in the league in early April.

The post was liked by teammate Paulo Bernardo, who came off the bench in the 5-0 win alongside his teammate.

After the win Jota told the media: “There's been millions of reasons why I wanted to come back to this club. To win titles is one of them but even just the happiness of playing games and enjoying every moment, I'll always be grateful and mindful about it."

The Hoops face Dundee United away from home and will hope to kickstart the title celebrations by avoiding defeat at Tannadice Park.

Andy Halliday urges Rangers to make ‘no brainer’ transfer

Former Rangers defender Andy Halliday has urged the 49ers to make a move for Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland when his contract expires at Tynecastle in the summer.

Shankland has been one of the most formidable forwards in Scottish football in recent years. He claimed a staggering 48 goals across his first two league seasons and even won the Golden Boot, but has struggled to hit the same heights this term with just four league goals and six assists as uncertainty surrounding his future continues to dominate the headlines.

Yet Halliday reckons the 29-year-old could be a shrewd addition to the Ibrox ranks to kickstart the excitement of the new 49ers ownership and give the team an extra offensive option for next season’s title push.

He explained, via Open Goal:"[It's a] no-brainer. "If it's on a free transfer and you can get him for the right amount of money, obviously, with Rangers trying to bring down the wage bill in the past couple of years. You'd definitely have him as part of your squad."

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