Liverpool have honored Diogo Jota on what would have marked his 29th birthday. The Portuguese striker tragically lost his life in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva in July.
The football community came together in grief following the heartbreaking incident, with messages of solidarity pouring in from every corner of the sport. Liverpool retired the number 20 jersey as a mark of respect for the forward who had made that number synonymous with his name during his spell at Anfield.
Jota's impact will remain eternal, and the club turned to social media today to share a moving tribute on this emotional occasion.
An social media message read: "Today, as every day, we remember Diogo Jota on what would have been his 29th birthday. All of our love, thoughts and prayers continue to be with his wife Rute, his children, parents and all of his family and friends, as well as those of his brother, Andre.
"Forever in our hearts, forever our number 20."
Countless tributes have flooded the comments section in memory of Jota. Liverpool icons Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher both responded with heart emojis in the comments.
The youth academy at Gondomar Sporte Club was rechristened in Jota's honour in 2022, recognising his time with the club until age 17 before his transfer to Paços de Ferreira. To honour his time at the club, a mural was commissioned depicting Jota as a youngster wearing the Gondomar strip and later during his international career representing Portugal.
A quote at the heart of the mural states: "Nao e importante de onde vimos mas sim para onde vamos." This translates to: "It's not important where we come from but where we're going."
Local residents spoke about the significance of this quote, explaining how Jota's path to Premier League stardom made him such a symbolic figure for the people of Gondomar.
The majority of players who eventually pull on the Portugal shirt are snapped up in their formative years by major clubs like Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and Porto. Yet Jota remained with his hometown team in Gondomar until he turned 17 and only had a brief year-long loan stint at Porto before making his switch to England.
Local resident Goncalo Ferreira explained that this distinctive path is precisely why he serves as such a motivational figure for people in the small city situated 7km east of Porto. He remarked: "It's not usual in football.
"When kids are 12/13, they go to the biggest clubs like Porto, Sporting and Benfica. He didn't go that way. He marked his career in football in a special way because he didn't follow everyone. He followed his convictions."
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Rita Silva also reflected on the meaning behind the quote, describing how Jota served as an inspiration to his local community. The 17 year old said: "He was the boy who got out. This is a small city and all of us dream to win in life and go to be the best in every work field we can. He got out - he was the one who got out and he was an example for everyone.
"He was a kid like us. He went to our school. He played in our fields and he won in life."
Jota's journey from his modest beginnings to Premier League stardom remains something the community will forever cherish.
Residents also appreciate how he never stopped representing his community during his rise to the summit, as Celia Almeida remarked: "He was always the boy from Gondomar."