Thursday 4 May 2017 11:04, UK
He may not be a household name but Brentford's Jota Peleteiro has arguably been the Championship's best player since returning from Spain in January. The talented winger speaks to Sky Sports about overcoming personal problems and finding the form of his life.
When the Sky Sports cameras are trained on Griffin Park this Sunday, most of the attention will inevitably fall on relegation-threatened Blackburn rather than mid-table Brentford. But while the visitors' battle for survival is the biggest storyline on the final day of the Championship season, the real player to watch will be wearing red and white.
Jota Peleteiro - or José Ignacio Peleteiro Ramallo, to give him his full name - has been outstanding since returning from a loan spell at Eibar in January, wreaking havoc on Brentford's right flank and contributing 12 goals and five assists in 20 appearances. With this skilful, intelligent Spaniard leading the charge, Brentford are heading for their third top-10 finish in as many years.
It is tempting to describe Jota as a revelation but he has already proved himself at Championship level. The winger joined Brentford from Celta Vigo in 2014, helping the newly-promoted west Londoners into the play-offs with 11 goals in 46 games. Their unlikely promotion bid was ended by Middlesbrough, but Jota seemed primed to make a lasting impression.
At the start of last season, however, the 25-year-old's circumstances changed dramatically. "I had a good first year with Brentford but I injured my ankle ligaments afterwards," Jota tells Sky Sports. "It's difficult to feel good about things when you can't play, and on top of that there were some personal issues in Spain."
It was a lot to handle. Jota underwent surgery on his ankle and returned to action four months into the season, but the off-field problems back home weren't going away. Midway through the January transfer window, it was announced he was joining Spanish club Eibar on an 18-month loan deal.
"Sometimes you have to say your family is the most important thing," he explains. "It has to be the priority. I wanted to resolve a few problems back home in order to come back and be completely calm. I wanted to be able to enjoy football again without worrying about other things."
Eibar was familiar territory for Jota having spent the 2013/14 campaign on loan there from Celta, but after making 13 La Liga appearances in the second half of last season, the 25-year-old fell out of favour with manager José Luis Mendilibar following a dispute over playing time.
"I kept working hard in training and kept doing the same things," says Jota. "It was difficult for me to play under the manager after our argument, but my family issues had been resolved. So when Brentford called me and asked me if I wanted to come back just before Christmas, I said yes."
Jota soon started making up for lost time. He scored his first goal in a 2-1 defeat to Wigan in January, and there was a hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Rotherham a few weeks later. Fast forward to today, and only top scorer Chris Wood has netted more times since the turn of the year. Only Newcastle's Dwight Gayle has a superior strike rate this season.
"Ever since I returned I have been very happy at the club and with my team-mates, and on the pitch things have been going well," says Jota. "You evolve every year in football. I didn't play as much as I would have liked in Spain, but I worked hard and now it's paying off. I feel great physically and when I have the ball at my feet I feel confident. It's good for me and the team."
Brentford started the season slowly in Jota's absence and lost top scorer Scott Hogan to Aston Villa in January, but things have clicked for Dean Smith's side in recent weeks. Their improved form has come too late to clinch a play-off spot, but the stats show they have scored more goals than any other Championship side in the second half of the campaign.
"Above all, we're a team that attacks a lot," says Jota. "The manager likes everyone to attack together. It suits us forward players because we can create a lot of chances, which makes it easier to score goals. The start of the season was more difficult for the team but every side goes through phases. We have a lot of good players and right now it is working well."
Jota typifies that hard work as much as anyone. It's with the ball at his feet that he truly comes into his own, but despite his slight frame and elegant playing style, he has also embraced the physical side of English football.
"In Spain, the game is more tactical and a little slower," he says. "The coaches do a lot of work on tactics, but here everything is quicker. There are more one-on-ones and more counter-attacks, so I get lots of opportunities to take people on and combine with my team-mates. I am not physically as strong as other players here, but I love getting on the ball so much."
It is not yet certain where Jota's journey will take him next. He is nearing the end of his contract at Griffin Park and describes playing in the Premier League as an "obvious objective", but there is also an offer of an extension on the table from Brentford and he appears in little rush move on as he prepares for a photo shoot to promote their new kit with some of his team-mates.
"I leave that stuff to my agent but we will sit down and speak to the club to see what's best for everyone," he says. "I have been very happy in England. I didn't have my head focused on football during my second season and I was too far from Spain to sort things out, but that's behind me now. I'm just glad to be moving forward."
Watch Brentford v Blackburn live on Sky Sports Mix from 11.55am on Sunday
