Ahead of a poignant day at Anfield, the ECHO spoke to Diogo Jota's neighbours in Merseyside, who shared their memories of the humble Portuguese footballer who was valued so much
Today marks a poignant occasion as the two teams that took Diogo Jota to their hearts, Liverpool and Wolves, play eachother for the first time since his death aged 28
Today marks a poignant occasion as the two teams that took Diogo Jota to their hearts, Liverpool and Wolves, play eachother for the first time since his death aged 28
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(Image: PA)
Two grand mansions face each other behind a gated enclosure in Blundellsands. One is adorned in Christmas lights, typical of the season, while the other is strikingly bare.
The contrast is a poignant reminder of the tragedy that occurred over the summer, as the now unoccupied house was where Diogo Jota and his family called home while living in Merseyside. The unimaginable tragedy that took place in July when the late Portuguese forward and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a car accident left Liverpool and the whole football world in mourning.
One of the Liverpool FC star's neighbours on Hall Road East told the ECHO how this void has been particularly felt in his local community in Merseyside. The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the ECHO: "I think there's been a veil of sadness ever since."
He added: "One of the really sad things at the minute was his house would always, at this time of year, be decked out in bright Christmas decorations and lights. It's been very sad to see it stand, empty, with the lights off, in pitch darkness.
"As the nights have drawn in and winter has come, it's been even more evident to everybody that the house is soulless and there's nobody there. It's really sad."
Jota first moved to the affluent L23 area with his partner, Rute Cardoso, when he joined the Reds from Wolves in 2020. It could easily be expected that a Premier League footballer in his 20s may have been a flash character, but the neighbour told the ECHO that Jota was anything but.
He said: "They were very private people. They didn't really interact. They lived a quiet, calm, private life there. It didn't diminish in any way how people felt about him when he died. We all felt that a presence was now gone from the neighbourhood.
"We all were proud that we had such a notable neighbour there that was such a good ambassador for the club and such a nice, young person.
"I didn't know him, I didn't speak to him, but if you acknowledged him, he would acknowledge you. He seemed to be a very kind and considerate person."
Hall Road East in Merseyside
Hall Road East in Merseyside (Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
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Before he made the move to Hall Road East, Jota's first home in Merseyside was around the corner on Far Moss Road. The next door neighbour of his first property shared similar sentiments about Jota, as he remembered a humble family man, who kept himself to himself.
Jon Clarkson said: "He was a very normal guy. Just a young lad. It was quite shocking when I heard what had happened to him because I had that personal contact with him. It was very upsetting and tragic for a lovely little family."
With his short curly hair and love for tracksuits, it was commonly referenced how Jota could easily have passed as a lad from Liverpool with the way he embraced the look of a typical Scouser. Mr Clarkson thought the same, as he recalled his first encounter with the late forward.
He told the ECHO: "His wife used to order quite a few parcels. Because they've got electric gates and we haven't got any gates, the Amazon guy would often leave parcels with us here.
"The first time I met him, he came around and asked for his parcel. When I opened the door, I didn't know who he was because he was in a trackie and wearing a cap. He was only quite small. He looked really young. Then I obviously heard his accent."
Every resident the ECHO spoke to painted a similar picture of a man who seamlessly fit into his community and enjoyed the relative anonymity afforded to him by his neighbours. Mr Clarkson said it particularly hit hard hearing news of his death, as he remembered the day when Jota and Rute welcomed their first child into the world.
He said: "His wife had the first baby when she was living next door and I remember that. I sent him a card and I remember him coming home." He added: "I just remember how happy a time it would have been for him when the first baby was born and they brought him home."
Far Moss Road, where Diogo Jota first lived when he joined Liverpool
Far Moss Road, where Diogo Jota first lived when he joined Liverpool
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(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
We all know how these scenes of joy of a growing family were cruelly taken in the summer in one devastating incident and Mr Clarkson sent his thoughts and prayers to Jota's loved ones. He said: "I just hope his family are OK because he lost his brother as well. For that family it's absolutely devastating and I just feel sorry for his children.
"Nothing prepares you for that. It's just an awful shock." Images were shared with the ECHO of Portuguese removal vans earlier this month taking the last of the family's items, as it is understood they have now relocated back to their home country.
A neighbour who shared the images said: "Seeing the removal vans with their Portuguese registered plates and realising this was the final chapter closing on his family being here was a really sad moment."
Today marks a poignant occasion as the two sets of supporters in England that took Jota to their hearts, Liverpool and Wolves, play each other in the Premier League for the first time since this summer's horrible events.
While Jota's time in Blundellsands was devastatingly cut short, the weight of emotion inside Anfield this afternoon, when his two sons lead the teams out as mascots, will serve as further proof that the forever number 20's impact will never be forgotten.