Birmingham City's £6m man was nothing but "average" - he's a billionaire now | OneFootball

FLW's Birmingham City Fan Pundit Jason remembers Jota's time at St Andrew's.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Former footballer turned businessman Jota was once a key man for Brentford as they settled into Championship life following their promotion from League One in 2014.

The Spanish attacker scored 11 goals and registered three assists as the Bees stormed to the play-offs just a year after their ascent, including a memorable last-minute winner against local rivals Fulham.

After notching a total of 23 goals in 69 appearances for the club, Jota made the switch to fellow Championship outfit Birmingham City. However, the move did not go as planned for both player and club.

Football League World's Blues Fan Pundit, Jason Moore, has looked back on what turned out to be an underwhelming addition as Birmingham struggled at the wrong end of the division.

Jota's Birmingham days remembered

"No, Jota was definitely not a success," said Jason when asked for his thoughts on the Spaniard's impact at the club.

"He was okay, but for the money we paid, and where we were as a club, no, he was not a success."

After a 19th-place finish in the 2016/17 campaign, the Blues splashed out £6 million to prize Jota away from Brentford. However, Birmingham went on to finish in the same position once again, after hiring Garry Monk in March to drag the club to safety.

"He was just average," said Jason. "I am trying to think of games in which he made a real difference, and there aren't many. He played well against Hull, where he scored a couple - that's about it.

"I remember when he played against Villa, when he went through one-on-one and blazed it over. That sticks in my mind above anything. He was probably a 5/10 signing, and that is being generous," Jason concluded.

During their arch-rivals' three-year stay in the Championship, Birmingham failed to pick up anything more than a point against Aston Villa. Jota himself missed a huge chance to open the scoring for the Blues in a derby match that would finish goalless at St Andrew's in October 2017.

Strange switch brings an end to Jota's time in England - but starts a new venture

After failing to hit the heights of his Brentford days at St Andrew's, Jota made a shock switch across the city to Aston Villa in the summer of 2019, reuniting with ex-Brentford manager Dean Smith in the Premier League.

Though he went on to appear just 16 times for the club, before an agreement was reached to terminate his deal just over a year after his arrival.

He would officially retire from football in October 2022 following a spell with Spanish outfit Deportivo Alaves, registering just two La Liga assists during his time in the Basque Country.

Following retirement, the Spaniard would go on to found the agricultural technology firm, Groinn.

The firm's technology creates solar-powered tech to provide farmers with information they need about soil, and is in use across the globe, from Spain to the Netherlands and even Saudi Arabia.

The Daily Mail reports that the company is projected to reach a staggering valuation of £3 billion in 2026, making it incredibly unlikely that Jota regrets his change in career path.

After hanging up his boots, Jota will be remembered fondly by Brentford supporters, many thanks to his derby day exploits at Griffin Park.

His time in the West Midlands didn't bring the same creative spark seen in West London, but it paved the way for him to become a different kind of creator beyond football.