The Liverpool attacker lost his life on July 3, alongside his 25-year-old brother Andre Silva, when their car suffered a tyre blowout as they were making their way back to England for pre-season training.
The Celtic wide-man, who visited his teammates in Portugal despite his long-term knee injury, took the time to discuss his fellow countryman, who has received an outpouring of tributes from the wider footballing world. “I struggle to find words about everything that happened, and I think everyone in the world of football felt the same thing that day,” said Jota \[[Celtic TV](https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/july/11/jota-joins-the-celts-in-lisbon/)\].
“It’s such a strange feeling, so unfair to someone who still had all of his life in front of him. It’s really sad. No one can imagine the pain and suffering of the family, but these are the moments that people should unite, be with them and be all together.
“I knew him. I played with him in the Portugal Under-21s, and he already seemed like a very mature guy, with a lot of success in football.
“Everyone could look up to him like a father figure, and this happening just doesn’t make any sense.”
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Jota continued: “We really need to be strong and together on this, because his memory will live on. The things he did in football were amazing. We need to cherish his life, and he built up an amazing family as well.
“Us down here, we’ll still keep up doing our thing, fighting and remembering him for all of the things that he has done.”
During his five years at Liverpool, Diogo Jota won the Premier League and FA Cup, as well as two EFL Cups, making 182 appearances in all competitions under the management of Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot.