Diogo Jota felt like one of us
Even though my girlfriend is Portuguese, I know his full name far better than I know hers: Diogo José Teixeira da Silva.
He was a massive part of the best Wolves team of my lifetime; in his three years at Molineux we finished top of the Championship, then 7th twice in the Premier League, also reaching the FA Cup semi-finals and the last eight of the Europa League. For a team with four previous top-flight seasons since 1984, this was huge.
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Jota signed for us in the second tier. When he arrived, we saw a little Portuguese guy, and thought he'd go the way of the likes of João Teixeira; a highly technical player, who didn't quite have the physical and/or mental capacity to make it in the second tier.
But Jota's tenacity and determination meant he settled in like he'd always played there. That, coupled with his incredible ability, meant he was just an unbelievable player to watch.
In the Premier League he lacked a little consistency and would regularly go multiple matches without scoring. But when he was good, oh boy was he good.
Read – Diogo Jota, 1996-2025: A life taken too soon
The hat-tricks against Leicester, Besiktas and Espanyol stand out, but it was his part in the 2019 FA Cup run that Wolves fans will remember; his goal in the quarter-final versus Manchester United, where he absolutely bullied Luke Shaw, will go down in modern Wolves history. And then he was electric in the semi final; had he not been taken off before Watford equalised, I think we may well have won that one.
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Diogo Jota felt like one of us
Off the pitch, he just seemed, well, normal. He took Telford (which is 20 miles from Wolverhampton) to the Champions League on Football Manager, and won the FIFA tournament played by Premier League players during Covid lockdowns.
Jota also followed Everton as a kid, like I did, and so Diogo J. almost felt like he was me, if I'd actually been good at football. He played the same computer games I do, he gave everything on the pitch to the club I love. He just did it with a little more talent.
Yesterday's news has floored me. I know he'll forever be associated with Liverpool, but he was a huge part of my life for three years, and those were the best three years of my time supporting Wolves.
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I think I saw 36 of his 44 Wolves goals in the flesh, and me and my friends have always spoken about him maybe returning one day. The fact this is no longer a possibility is something I'm struggling to comprehend.
This article was written by Wolves fan Tom Bason.
Diogo Jota – Football mourns shocking loss of Liverpool star and brother Andre Silva
See Also – Arne Slot pays emotional tribute to 'special' Diogo Jota
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