Ellie Dixon to perform Celtic chant at Parkhead ahead of Old Firm

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Ellie Dixon had never heard of Celtic until February after she picked a fan favourite chant Jota on the Wing to sing on the radio.And today, she’ll be singing it in front of a 60,000 home crowd in Glasgow before Celtic play Rangers in an all important derby at Celtic Park.The Cambridge singer, 24, isn’t even a football fan but will be playing her biggest ever gig before the kick-off after becoming a viral sensation.She said: “I’m excited but it’s scary to be turning up in front of so many Celtic fans.

I just want to do everyone justice.“It’s just going to be me and my guitar. Who needs a drum kit when you’ve got 60,000 backing singers.”It’s an incredible turn of events for the indie singer who knows nothing about Celtic and also had never heard of Portuguese footballer Jota, 24 until she was asked to choose a song on Patrick Kielty’s BBC 5Live show.

On the show for his 5Live Lounge section he asks musicians to put their own spin on well-known football chants.Fans send them in and Ellie chose Jota on the Wing which celebrates the winger to the 2003 tune of Dragostea Din Tei by O-Zone.Jota joined Celtic in September 2021 and finished the season last year with 13 goals and 14 assists.An instant fan favourite Celtic fans came up with the chant: “When you score, you make the Celtic sing, Jota on the wing, Jota Jota on the wing, Every time you’re on the ball we know, There’s gonna be a goal”.Unsurprisingly, the club signed him up from Benfica on a five year deal.Ellie admitted: “It’s such an unlikely connection.

I’m not a football fan and hadn’t even heard of Celtic.“But I really liked the chant a Celtic fan had sent in, so I played it, had a really nice time and didn’t think anymore of it.