Spanish midfielder Jota moved from Championship side Birmingham City to Premier League side Aston Villa this summer.
Aston Villa’s new signing Jota has admitted that he will be expecting some stick following his switch from bitter rivals Birmingham City.
At the start of June, playmaker Jota signed for Premier League side Aston Villa, whilst their academy player Gary Gardner signed for Birmingham, who are in the Championship.
The 28-year-old previously worked with Dean Smith at Brentford before signing for the Blues when Harry Redknapp was in charge of the club.
Not many players make the switch from one side of the city to the other as Jota is expecting ‘some boos’ on the streets of Birmingham now he has crossed that divide.
“It’s a very big rivalry,” Jota told La Voz de Asturias. “I guess there will be many who do not like it. Some [will] boo in the street [and] I’ll have to take [it]. Our work is like that and we have to live with it as best we can. I do not worry, honestly.
“I do not like to choose the easy steps to be in a [more] comfortable situation. I look for myself and I try to make the decisions that excite me and I think they benefit me.”
Jota is an attack-minded midfielder, who can operate in behind the striker, but his preferred position is playing on the right-hand side.
The Spaniard will bring much-needed depth to Villa’s forward line and he will be hoping to make his mark on his new club.
Given Jota’s versatility, it won’t be a surprise to see him starting Villa’s first Premier League game of the season when they take on Tottenham at their new stadium.
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