An emotional Liverpool head coach Arne Slot spoke poignantly about Diogo Jota ahead of his side facing Nottingham Forest in the Premier League this weekend.
After sealing a place at the World Cup with Scotland this week, Reds vice-captain Andy Robertson, paid tribute to Jota and outlined the difficult period that Liverpool is still in following the tragic passing of the 28-year-old during the summer.
"I couldn't get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today," Robertson said. "We spoke so much about going to the World Cup because he missed the last one with Portugal, and I did with Scotland. I know he'll be smiling over me today."
When asked about the clip during his Friday press conference, Slot said: "I saw the interview [with Robertson] live and I know that it is an issue for us, which is completely normal.
"At this moment in time, I always think how it must feel for his wife and his children. It is so, so, so much harder for them than it is for us. But that we will miss the player and the person, that is completely clear."
In last January's fixture away at Nottingham Forest, Jota scored 22 seconds after coming on as a substitute in the 1-1 draw at the City Ground, set up by fellow substitute Kostas Tsimikas' inswinging corner.
Arne Slot was asked about Andy Robertson's emotional post-match interview, in which he brought up his late former team-mate Diogo Jota unprompted, at his Liverpool press conference
Arne Slot was asked about Andy Robertson's emotional post-match interview, in which he brought up his late former team-mate Diogo Jota unprompted, at his Liverpool press conference
"Now we play Nottingham Forest... last season there we were 1-0 down and it only took him [Jota] one minute to score the equalizer," Slot added.
"So now I am talking about the player that we miss for sure. This time, we haven't managed to come back as many times after going 1-0 down.
"He definitely played his part in helping us come from behind last season. That we also miss him as a person is also clear. His wife and children and parents will miss him so much more."
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Slot was also asked about the wider impact of what happened in the summer on his players.
"It's good for us to remember him every time possible because of the person and player he was," he said. "It's impossible to measure what it does to the players and then what it does to our results.
"The last thing I will do is use it as an excuse because, simply, I don't know. What I do know is that we miss the player, that is 100 per cent sure, and we also miss the person.
"I cannot measure how that has an impact. It's impossible to me to say. We will never use it as an excuse because that doesn't feel right."