liverpool.com

Liverpool fans have spoken on Diogo Jota act club has never done before

Liverpool fans’ calls for the No. 20 shirt to be retired are growing following the death of Diogo Jota.

Supporters are in mourning following the tragic passing of the Portuguese star, who has died at the age of 28 following a car crash in Spain on Thursday. Jota was traveling with his brother Andre Silva, who was also killed in the accident, after being advised not to fly, having recently undergone surgery on his lung.

Jota’s teammates at Liverpool, including Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, have been sharing their tributes on social media since the news broke, as have former Reds Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher, along with head coach Arne Slot and Jurgen Klopp.

Jota’s funeral is set to take place on Saturday following a wake in his hometown in Portugal on Friday. The service will take place in the same location in which he married his long-term partner Rute just last month.

The news has been devastating for Liverpool fans, who have been leaving hundreds of tributes outside Anfield over the past 24 hours, while the club has also opened books of condolence for supporters to sign over the coming days.

Fans have called for Jota’s No. 20 shirt to be retired at Anfield, with a poll conducted by Liverpool.com on Whatsapp showing that supporters are unanimous on the matter.

Liverpool has never previously retired a shirt number

Liverpool has never previously retired a shirt number (Image: Getty Images)

Over 5,000 supporters had their say, with 4.8k of those who voted agreeing that Jota’s number should be retired. If it is, it would be the first time Liverpool has ever retired a shirt number.

The club has stated that Jota will be “immortalized” following his death, although no plans to retire his number have yet been confirmed.

“The No.20 will be rightly immortalized for his contributions as part of Liverpool’s 2024-25 title-winners – the club’s 20th – with his trademark shimmy and strike in front of the Kop to seal victory in April’s Merseyside derby a poignant last goal of his life,” Liverpool wrote in a tribute to Jota on Thursday.

Tributes have been laid outside Anfield for Diogo Jota

Tributes have been laid outside Anfield for Diogo Jota (Image: Getty Images)

Paying tribute to his forward, Slot wrote in a statement: "I could say so much about what he brought to our team but the truth is everyone who watched Diogo play could see it. Hard work, desire, commitment, great quality, goals. The essence of what a Liverpool player should be.

"There were also the parts that not everyone got to see. The person who never sought popularity but found it anyway. Not a friend to two people, a friend to everyone. Someone who made others feel good about themselves just by being with them. A person who cared deeply for his family.

"The last time we spoke, I congratulated Diogo on winning the Nations League and wished him luck for his forthcoming wedding. In many ways, it was a dream summer for Diogo and his family, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that it should end like this."

Slot added: "When the time is right, we will celebrate Diogo Jota, we will remember his goals and we will sing his song. For the time being, we will remember him as a unique human being and mourn his loss. He will never be forgotten."

Read full news in source page