Adama Traore has shared an emotional tribute to his former teammate Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in a car accident alongside his brother, André Silva.
The ex-Wolves pair had been journeying through Spain to catch a ferry back to England for pre-season when disaster struck due to a tire blowout. The football world mourned as the brothers were laid to rest in Gondomar, with Liverpool's first team, manager Arne Slot, and numerous club staff honouring their memory at the funeral.
Traore, now plying his trade at Fulham, took to Instagram to express his sorrow and gratitude for the wisdom imparted by Jota during their time together at Wolves.
He reminisced about Jota's advice, posting a poignant photo of him replacing Jota on the pitch, captioned: "I'll never forget what you told me: to make the most of every minute, whether I'm starting or coming off the bench.
"That a goal in the 1st or the 90th counts the same. Not to let my head drop and to keep working, because in the end, things will fall into place. DJ18".
Traore also included a heart emoji at the end of his post in tribute to Jota. They played alongside one another at Molineux during a successful period for the Midlands outfit.
Diogo Jota joined Wolves in 2017 and helped the club to promotion to the Premier League
Diogo Jota joined Wolves in 2017 and helped the club to promotion to the Premier League (Image: Getty Images)
The Liverpool first team squad returned to the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday (July 8) for the commencement of pre-season. The Reds had decided to delay the start of their pre-season training schedule following the tragic news of Jota's passing.
The initial group of Reds players were originally scheduled to report to the AXA Training Centre on Friday (July 4), with a larger group expected on Monday (July 7).
However, Slot's squad was given additional time off to come to terms with the shocking news of their colleague's passing. Most of them traveled to Portugal to attend his funeral before reporting back to Kirkby on Tuesday.
"What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words but I know I do not," Slot said in a statement last week.
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"All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.
"My first thoughts are not those of a football manager. They are of a father, a son, a brother and an uncle and they belong to the family of Diogo and Andre Silva who have experienced such an unimaginable loss.
"My message to them is very clear – you will never walk alone. The players, the staff, the supporters of Liverpool Football Club are all with you and from what I have seen today, the same can be said of the wider family of football."