Former Liverpool and Everton player Conor Coady, who was the captain of Wolverhampton Wanderers during Diogo Jota's three years at Molineux, has paid a heartfelt tribute to his former teammate.
Jota, alongside his brother, Andre Silva, was laid to rest on Saturday in Gondomar, northern Portugal, the town in which the pair grew up, in a funeral service attended by their family and many of their friends. Tributes have poured in from all around the world following their tragic passing, while fans laid wreaths, shirts, and scarves at Anfield and paid their respects at the public wake too.
"I think we'll all remember where we were, but it goes bigger than football what we're all feeling now," Coady said. "This has hit everybody hard. And it will hit everybody hard for a long, long time.
"Diogo was a fantastic human being, an amazing friend, an amazing husband, an amazing father, and an absolutely incredible footballer for all the clubs he has played for.
"He was an unbelievable person. This is celebrating an incredible human being. A human being who should never have left us this early and this [early] into an amazing career."
Jota scored 44 goals for Wolves before he joined Liverpool in 2020. He went on to net 65 times for the Reds, winning the Premier League title this season and following that up by securing the UEFA Nations League trophy with Portugal just weeks ago.
Crowds pay their respects at Anfield to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre
Crowds pay their respects at Anfield to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre (Image: Photo by Colin Lane)
"You could see it in his first session — that tenacity and the will to win was like no other," Coady, speaking to the BBC, continued.
"He was the heart and soul of the dressing room. He had a quiet way of going about himself. But you knew you could go to him about anything. For me, as a captain, it was an honor and a dream to play with him."
Jota was promoted with Wolves and played for the club in the Premier League, too. His performances earned him a $56 million (£41 million) move to Anfield, where he swiftly became a fan favorite.
Jota passed away on Thursday
Jota passed away on Thursday (Image: Getty Images)
"He was born to play in the Premier League but Wolves were in the Championship," Coady said.
"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.
"He was brave enough to bring his childhood sweetheart to Wolverhampton and really buy into the culture of England. He was such an example for everybody.
"I absolutely loved him. As a captain, he was a dream to work with. But it was a pleasure to call him a friend."