There’s something about this one that hit different. Maybe it’s because Diogo Jota was one of ours. Maybe it’s because he had just started the next chapter of his life. Maybe it’s because he died alongside his brother. Maybe it’s all of that. Or maybe it’s because grief, when it returns, doesn’t ask permission.

In the past few days, I’ve heard from Reds around the world who’ve admitted something deeply personal. The news of Jota’s death didn’t just sadden them. It re-opened wounds they thought had long healed. People told me they were confused by the depth of their emotions, some even said they felt guilty for feeling so overwhelmed by the passing of someone they’d never met. But this is what grief does. It doesn’t play by any rulebook. It takes whatever shape it wants, whenever it wants.

If that’s been you this week, please hear me when I say this: you are not selfish. You are not overreacting. You are grieving. And that is entirely human.

Grief Wears Many Shirts

Football has always been a place where grief and glory meet in strange, complicated ways. We cry over titles lost and celebrate with tears when they are won. But this week, it wasn’t a trophy that got away or a rival pipping us at the post. It was something real, raw, permanent.

Seeing Jota’s Liverpool teammates walking into that church in Gondomar, heads bowed, hands full of floral tributes, was enough to take the breath away. Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson and the rest looked like they were lining up for a Champions League final, only this time the opponent was loss itself.

Outside the church, hundreds of fans stood quietly, unable to find words, but somehow finding each other. “Força,” someone shouted to the players. Strength. That’s what it takes. Not to keep playing football, but to keep living.

Grief isn’t a moment. It’s not a week. It becomes part of you, a quiet echo in the background of your life. It might sit still for months, even years. Then something triggers it. A song, a photograph, a headline. And suddenly you’re crying in your car on a Tuesday afternoon, wondering how the hell we got here again.

Mental Health and Football: Breaking The Silence

We talk a lot about football being a community. And it is. But community means more than just sharing wins. It means showing up for each other when the game stops and the world goes silent. The news about Diogo didn’t just break hearts; it triggered deeper pain in many people. For some, it was like their own past came charging back through a crack in the wall.

That’s not weakness. That’s the way trauma works. It’s not a wound you can stitch shut and forget about. It’s something you carry, something you adapt to. You don’t beat grief. You walk with it. You learn how to live around it.

So if you’ve felt numb, or confused, or angry, or even guilty this week, let me tell you what I’ve told others: you are not broken. You’re processing something complex. You’re revisiting something you never fully left behind. And that’s not just okay, it’s necessary.

I’ve tried to be there for others this week, the same way people have been there for me. I’m a mental health first aider. That’s a qualification, sure, but more than that, it’s a promise. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here. We all should be. Because you never know what someone else is carrying.

YNWA Means More

You’ll Never Walk Alone. Four words that have always held meaning for us, but rarely have they felt more alive than now. Not as a slogan or a chant, but as a way of living.

I’ve always said that hearing it sung at Anfield gives me a lump in my throat. On the big days, in the big games, I sometimes cry when it rings out across the ground. It’s not just the song, it’s what it represents. Unity. Memory. Hope. And this week, it reminded us of something else. That our club, our fanbase, is built on empathy. We care, we feel, we show up.

Over the past few days, I’ve felt that care in ways I never expected. Messages from people checking in. DMs from strangers. Little acts of kindness that meant the world. I’m trying to return the favour now, to pass it on. Because if this loss has taught us anything, it’s that connection is everything.

In Gondomar, the shirts worn by fans came from different clubs and different cities, but the pain was shared. You didn’t need to know Jota personally to feel like something had been taken from you. You only needed to have cheered his name once, sung his song, and watched him work his magic.

His life ended far too soon, but his legacy will echo far beyond his years.

We Remember, We Heal, We Carry On

Someone at the funeral held a sign that read “Para sempre um de nós.” Forever one of us. And that’s exactly what Diogo is now. He is part of Liverpool’s story, not just because of the goals, the trophies, the moments, but because of how he made us feel.

We’ve all got a Jota moment etched into memory. For some, it’s that baby shark celebration at Goodison. For others, it’s his quiet ruthlessness, always the one to seal a 3-1 win. Maybe it was his ability to come off the bench and change a game. Or maybe, like me, it’s something more intangible. That sense of inevitability. That belief that with Jota on the pitch, something could always happen.

And yet, now, we’ve been reminded that life itself is the most fragile of all moments. That grief, like football, doesn’t always offer a fair result. But in this cruel ending, we’ve also been reminded of our strength. Of our resilience. Of our shared humanity.

So take care of each other. Reach out. Ask twice. Be gentle with yourself. We will all carry Jota with us, in our own way. And we’ll carry each other too.

Because You’ll Never Walk Alone isn’t just a thing we say.

It’s a thing we live.

My DMs are open.

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Shared Success at Wolves

There are moments in football when the game itself becomes secondary. When the statistics, the goals, the league tables—all pale next to the human stories behind them. Conor Coady’s tribute to Diogo Jota is one of those moments.

Coady and Jota forged a connection at Wolverhampton Wanderers that transcended the usual dynamics of a football dressing room. Together, they rose through the ranks—Championship to Premier League, Premier League to Europe. But as Coady tells it, the true story wasn’t written in goals or appearances, but in the character of the man he shared those moments with.

“He was the heart and soul of the dressing room,” Coady said. “He had a quiet way of going about himself. But you knew you could go to him about anything.”

Jota’s Character Left a Lasting Mark

Jota’s recent passing in a tragic car crash sent shockwaves across the football world. Yet for those who knew him—truly knew him—the grief goes beyond headlines. Coady’s words, delivered via BBC Sport, were raw, unscripted, and full of admiration.

“This has hit everybody hard,” he said. “And it will hit everybody hard for a long, long time because Diogo was a fantastic human being, an amazing friend, an amazing husband, an amazing father and an absolute incredible footballer for all the clubs he has played for.”

It wasn’t just what Jota did on the pitch—it was how he carried himself. “He was an unbelievable person,” Coady reflected. “A dream to work with. But it was a pleasure to call him a friend.”

From Wolves to Liverpool: Pride and Pain

Jota’s move to Liverpool was a moment of pride for Coady. Seeing a teammate thrive on the biggest stage affirmed everything he already believed about the Portuguese forward.

“He took the Premier League by storm,” Coady said, recalling the goals, the hat tricks, and the unforgettable nights in the Europa League. “For me as a captain, it was an honour and a dream to play with him.”

Photo: IMAGO

Jota’s legacy isn’t just etched in highlight reels. It’s carried in memories—in the way he “bought into the culture” at Wolves, bringing his childhood sweetheart to Wolverhampton and fully embracing a club still rebuilding its identity.

An Enduring Example for Future Generations

Coady made it clear that Jota’s influence went beyond the touchline. He became a reference point—a blueprint—for how to approach the game with humility, bravery, and love.

“I used to always tell young people they need to learn from players like Diogo and Ruben, who were brave enough to step into the Championship to help a club who were struggling at that time,” Coady said. “He was such an example for everybody. I absolutely loved him.”

There are players who leave an impression. And then there are players like Jota—whose absence feels as profound as his presence once did.

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Liverpool Football Club have once again shown what it means to act with integrity during the darkest of times. As the footballing world mourns the loss of Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away alongside his brother André Silva, reports from Portugal have underlined the club’s quiet commitment to doing the right thing.

According to Portuguese outlet Record, Liverpool intend to honour the final two years of Jota’s contract by paying the full amount to his family. In a sport often consumed by headlines and transfer figures, such a gesture speaks to something far deeper than the business of football.

The reaction has been swift and heartfelt. Tributes have poured in from across the globe, remembering a player of rare quality and a man who left a lasting impression on fans, teammates and opponents alike.

Gesture Beyond Financial Obligation

What makes Liverpool’s decision so significant is not the financial figure involved, but the principle behind it. In moments of loss, contracts and clauses feel hollow. Yet honouring Jota’s deal in full ensures his loved ones are not left worrying about financial matters in their grief.

This is not simply about a club fulfilling a legal commitment. This is a club saying to a family, we remember your son, your brother, your partner, and we will stand beside you. It sends a message not just to Jota’s family but to every member of the Liverpool community about what the club stands for.

Photo: IMAGO Football Family United in Grief

As Saturday’s funeral approached in Gondomar, Portugal, there were images of the Liverpool squad in full attendance. They were joined by former teammates including Fabinho, Thiago Alcântara, James Milner and Jordan Henderson. All came to pay respects, not because they had to, but because it felt right.

For Liverpool’s current manager Arne Slot, who guided the club to a Premier League title in his debut season, this moment required a different kind of leadership. His presence, alongside every senior figure, reflected the collective heartbreak and unity of the squad.

Legacy of Compassion

Liverpool’s response to tragedy has often been marked by humanity. Whether in the aftermath of Hillsborough or more recent personal losses, the club has never shied away from standing with those in mourning.

In Diogo Jota’s case, this extends not just to floral tributes or minute’s silences, but to sustained action. That is how a legacy is built. That is how a man is remembered. And in supporting Jota’s family in this way, Liverpool have reaffirmed what it truly means to be part of the club.

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There are footballing performances that linger in the mind long after the final whistle. For Liverpool supporters, Diogo Jota’s stunning hat-trick against Atalanta in November 2020 sits among those unforgettable moments. It was a night that etched his name into the fabric of Anfield, a demonstration of ruthless talent from a forward who, on his day, was capable of touching greatness.

Signed for £41 million from Wolves in the summer, Jota arrived without much fanfare, overshadowed by the arrival of Thiago Alcântara. But while the Spaniard brought class, it was Jota who brought goals. And when Liverpool needed them most, he delivered.

Turning Point in a Troubled Season

Liverpool’s 2020 season had already taken a cruel twist. Having entered as Premier League champions, their campaign was rocked in October by the long-term injury to Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman’s absence seemed to deflate hopes of further silverware.

Yet just as the team looked vulnerable, Jota began to rise. A goal against Sheffield United, another versus FC Midtjylland, followed by a winner against West Ham. All in the space of a week. But if those strikes hinted at his ability, what came next in Bergamo fully confirmed it.

Jota’s Hat-Trick Against Atalanta

Jurgen Klopp showed his trust by starting Jota in the Champions League tie away at Atalanta. Up to that point, all his goals had come at Anfield. This was his chance to show he could take centre stage on foreign soil. He did not waste it.

His first goal came from a sublime ball by Trent Alexander-Arnold, sliced through the defence like a scalpel. Jota beat the offside line, shrugged off his marker and dinked the keeper with a touch of elegance that belied the occasion.

Photo: IMAGO

Goal number two was even better. Joe Gomez floated one into the area and Jota, always alert, brought it down on his left, nudged it inside, then drilled it past the keeper with his right. Precision, balance and two-footed mastery all in one movement.

The third arrived late. Sadio Mane slid a perfectly weighted pass through the lines, and Jota, timing his run with surgical accuracy, rounded the goalkeeper and slotted home. A Champions League hat-trick. Away from home. Wearing red with pride.

Liverpool won 5-0. Mohamed Salah and Mane scored too, but the night belonged to Jota.

Legacy Beyond Numbers

What Jota showed that night in Italy was the kind of intelligence and flair that belongs in elite company. His movement recalled Torres. His finishing was all Suarez. Yet he was never fully allowed to climb into that pantheon. Injury, more than form, stole too many games from him.

Still, he gave moments. And for football fans, that is often what lives longest.

Supporters across Liverpool, Wolves, Portugal and beyond will all have that one Jota moment etched in memory. For some, it was his brace against Arsenal. Others will hold tight to the Merseyside Derby winner. But for many, it was that night in Bergamo, when he announced himself not just as a Liverpool player, but as a match-winner on the grandest of stages.

His legacy is not measured in appearances or seasons, but in flashes of brilliance that stirred the soul. Jota gave us those. And for that, he will always be remembered.

Rest in peace.

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