IMMORTAL JOTA

THE FOOTBALL WORLD WAS STUNNED BY THE TRAGIC DEATH OF LIVERPOOL FORWARD DIOGO JOTA, WHO LEFT HIS MARK ON THE GAME

- By Nick Said

South African fans know all too well the pain of losing a footballer in his prime to a tragic accident, an all too familiar sad outcome over the years.

But the football world was stunned when Diogo Jota passed away along with his brother André Silva in a car accident while on holiday in Spain.

The father of three perished just two weeks after his wedding to childhood sweetheart Rute, a cruel twist of fate that has left the family devastated.

Diogo José Teixeira da Silva was born in the Portuguese city of Porto and made his professional debut for local side Paços de Ferreira in 2014.

He was signed two years later by Spanish side Atlético Madrid, though he never actually played for the team.

He had a loan spell at FC Porto and then Wolverhampton Wanderers in England, who he helped to promotion to the Premier League in 2017. He later joined Wolves on a permanent basis.

They had something of a Portuguese revolution at the club under coach Nuno Espírito Santo and Jota was one of several players from the country at Molineaux.

Jota was with Wolves for three seasons in total before Liverpool swooped in a transfer worth up to £45 million with add-ons.

There was a tinge of irony in that move as Jota had spoken glowingly of how he supported Liverpool's bitter Merseyside rivals Everton growing up.

"I loved to watch Everton play, especially when they were playing at home," he said. "It was not a club that fought for the title but that always made life very complicated for the big teams. And I loved that drive and competitiveness. They were relentless."