Diogo Jota's death: Dubai's official Liverpool supporters pay tribute to young star
The song, from the 1945 musical Carousel, is the team's anthem, and holds and even deeper meaning for the club's faithful after the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy, in which 97 supporters lost their lives.
And on Thursday, the iconic anthem, echoed outside Anfield once again, this time to honour Diogo Jota, who died in a tragic car crash. His brother Andre Silva too was killed in the crash.
As fans paid tribute to the Portuguese star, who had got married just two weeks ago to his long-time girlfriend, over 7,000km away in Dubai, it was a sombre moment.
Loyal Liverpool fans in Dubai were yet to come to terms with the tragic loss of a player who was snuffed out at just age 28.
"Yes devastating news for us all. We are all deeply shocked," a member of the Official Liverpool Supporters Club Dubai (OLSC Dubai) told the Khaleej Times.
Ever since the news broke, tributes have been pouring in across the supporters' club's social media platforms.
"We've had so many tributes and condolences across our social media platforms, its truly heartbreaking," he said.
Also known as the Dubai Reds, the supporters' club was formed back in 2006 and received official affiliation from Liverpool FC later that year.
The Dubai Reds has more than 500 active and loyal members from different nationalities and cultures.
With the fans still trying to cope with the untimely passing of one of their own, the supporters' club said they will plan a fitting tribute in due course. For now though, some of their members plan to place some some Dubai Reds memorabilia and flowers at Anfield.
"One of our past members will be doing this on our behalf as he's back in the UK now permanently," he said.
'Family man'
"It will take time for us all to take this in and decide on a fitting tribute but now is just the time to remember the player he was but, more importantly, what a family man he was. And our thoughts go out to his wife, his three children and, of course, his parents who have lost two sons in this awful tragedy. He joined in 20, he wore 20 and he was an integral part of bringing us number 20," the member said.
Jota, who joined Liverpool in 2020 from Wolves after impressing then Reds coach Jurgen Klopp, helped the team win a record-equalling 20th Premier League title.
The footballing world, especially the English top flight, were united in grief, posting tributes to Jota, who had just won the Uefa Nations League with Portugal last month.
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