Pat Nevin shares emotional message after Jota tragedy | OneFootball

Former footballer and respected pundit Pat Nevin has shared a heartfelt message following the death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, acknowledging the deep impact the Portuguese international had on our club, our fans, and the football world.

Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva were tragically killed in a car crash on Thursday 3 July while travelling back to England for the start of pre-season training.

The footballing world has united in mourning ever since, with tributes continuing to pour in from across the globe.

Writing for BBC Sport, Nevin reflected on the “glorious life” Jota lived, while offering his thoughts to the family devastated by this unimaginable loss.

Nevin: ‘They were considered friends, even if you had never met them’

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

“Players, clubs, associations, media and fans of all teams and nations underlined how much they felt about these young men,” Nevin said.

“They were more than just famous people; they were considered friends, even if you had never met them.”

That sentiment has been reflected across Liverpool over the last week.

From the sea of tributes outside Anfield and the AXA Training Centre to those from our former captains and coaches, it’s clear that Jota meant the world to us – not only as a footballer, but as a person.

Nevin added: “Diogo had a glorious life and made many people so happy in the short time he was here, though this will be of minimal relief to his wife, children, parents and other close family members just now.”

“Thankfully, football never forgets those it loses young, so help will be at hand whenever they need it.”

Liverpool’s next game will be a tribute in itself

Liverpool’s pre-season friendly against Preston North End on Sunday is set to be the first match since Jota’s passing.

Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili have all trained for the first time at Kirkby this week, preparing for what is expected to be an emotional fixture.

Preston have confirmed ticket details and are planning tributes of their own to honour our No.20, who joined us from Wolves in 2020 and lit up Anfield with 65 goals across 182 appearances.

This comes after the return of the first-team squad to the AXA Training Centre earlier this week – a day marked not just by Slot’s intense new fitness routines, but also by the flowers, scarves and banners left outside the entrance in Jota’s honour.