"There was something special about him"
Geoff says there was 'something special' about Jota
Geoff says there was 'something special' about Jota(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The sea of red continues to mount outside Anfield as people travel from all over to pay tribute to Diogo Jota as he and his brother were laid to rest today. Hundreds of flowers, Liverpool FC shirts, scarves and heart-breaking messages in memory of Diogo Jota have been placed outside Anfield.
Liverpool forward Jota and his brother Andre Silva died following a crash on the A-52 in Palacios de Sanabria near the city of Zamora in Spain at 12.40am on Thursday. Today, the brothers were laid to rest as thousands joined his family and LFC players in Portugal.
And tributes from the football world and beyond have continued to flood in for the father of three, who had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso just 12 days ago.
Following the news on Thursday the ECHO spent much of the day speaking to tearful Liverpool fans who started to gather by the statue of legendary manager Bill Shankly to lay down scarves and flowers -you can read what they said here.
The club also opened both physical and digital books of condolences in memory of Jota and brother Andre, with hundreds queuing to enter reception of the Anfield Road Stand.
People have continued to travel from far and wide today to pay their respects. One mum, along with her partner and two children, flew from Dublin to place tributes outside the home of Liverpool on behalf of the Dublin 15 LFC Supporters club.
Family flown over from Dublin to pay tribute on behalf of Irish LFC supporters group
Family flown over from Dublin to pay tribute on behalf of Irish LFC supporters group
Showing the ECHO the Liverpool shirt and flowers she'd placed outside 97 Avenue, the mum said: “We’ve flown over from Dublin this morning to lay a tribute on behalf of the Dublin supporters club. It’s so sad, his poor family, those poor kids.”
She added: "We had the flowers made in town this morning. My children laid flowers too, We're flying back home to Dublin on Monday. We just wanted to come and pay our respects and on behalf of the supporters club. You can just feel the sadness in the air, it's so sad."
Danny Bingman had travelled from Scotland to pay tribute. He said: “I think everyone is heartbroken. You can feel the pain everywhere, I’m from Scotland. It’s heartbreaking, it’s unbelievable, it’s devastating, it doesn’t feel real. I travelled down today to pay tribute.”
Danny Bingman pays tribute outside of Anfield
Danny Bingman pays tribute outside of Anfield(Image: Liverpool ECHO staff)
Lifelong Liverpool FC fan, Fred, and his son Mitchel, from Blackpool, travelled to Anfield to pay their respects. Fred said: "We have come to pay tribute. I've been a lifelong Liverpool fan. There’s not much else to say that hasn’t already been said to be honest, it’s a travesty, those poor kids. His poor wife.
"It’s my son's first time at Anfield, I just had to bring him. It’s sad that this is his first time here for something like this but it's nice to see how the club comes together, how the family all come together. It’s one big family Liverpool, we’ve always stuck together, look at Hillsborough. It’s just devastating, it was only last month that we were celebrating when Liverpool won the league."
Matthew and his family travelled along the M62 from Manchester to place flowers and balloons outside the stadium. Matthew told the ECHO how it was incredible to see people from across the football community come together in support.
Fred has brought his son Mitchel to Anfield for the first time
Fred has brought his son Mitchel to Anfield for the first time
He said: “I’m a Liverpool fan but people have come from all over to pay tribute today. You put football aside when it comes to things like this, it’s for his family. We were speaking to people who had come from Wolves earlier, it just goes to show.
"The amount of tributes here is incredible, it’s an amazing club Liverpool, it just shows what kind of club it is." He added: "It’s heart breaking, you just feel for those young kids and his new wife. We’ve put some flowers on the Hillsborough memorial then we're going to find a space for our flowers and balloons, not that there is much space left, there are that many tributes here.”
Matthew and his family travelled from Manchester to pay tribute
Matthew and his family travelled from Manchester to pay tribute
Geoff Seals, 54, has been a lifelong Liverpool fan and held a season ticket for the past 30 years. He said: “I’ve had a season ticket for 30 years so I’ve watched him throughout. It’s just a sad sad loss and my heart goes out to his family, those young kids."
Speaking about Diogo Jota, Geoff told the ECHO how he was "special." He said: "He just had something about him and not all players have that but he did and you can always count on Liverpool to find players with that something. I’ve been a lifelong Liverpool fan, I’m local and just seeing these tributes just show what kind of club this is. There’s no words for what happened.”
Linda Parker, 73, has been "wiping away the tears" for three days. She was visiting Anfield with her 74-year-old husband, John. John said: "We’ve been Liverpool fans forever, we’re only from Walton. I’ve been coming to Anfield since 1962 and all the family have been going to games forever.”
John, who has been coming to Anfield since the 60s, with his wife Linda
John, who has been coming to Anfield since the 60s, with his wife Linda
Linda said: “I’ve been crying for three days, look at my eyes. I can’t take my sunglasses off, I can’t believe what happened. Just wiped out in seconds like that.
"My memory of him is all the good things like holding the cup up, that’s my memory of him. At the parade all I saw was him holding the cup and that just stayed in my mind all the time. It’s just heart-breaking, his poor family.
She added: "I didn’t realise the tributes were this big, it just shows what kind of club this is. It’s a big family."