Andy Robertson in heartbreaking Diogo Jota farewell as Liverpool hero mourns loss of friend he 'loved'
Andy Robertson says he's hurting after the loss of a 'genuine, normal and real' friend in Diogo Jota.
It was announced today that the Liverpool and Portugal player and his brother Andre Silva died tragically in a car crash in Spain.
It came just ten days after Jota's wedding, which was the last time Scotland captain Robertson saw him before his death.
Robertson was close to Jota and said he even tried to claim him as Scottish during their time together at Anfield – affectionately nicknaming him 'Diogo MacJota'.
He wrote in an emotional Instagram post: "The ones I'm thinking about most right now are the family. Their loss is too much to bear. I'm so sorry that they have lost two such precious souls – Diogo and Andre.
"For the team and the club, we'll try to cope with this together… however long that takes. For me, I want to talk about my mate. My buddy. The bloke I loved and will miss like crazy. "I could talk about him as a player for hours, but none of that feels like it matters right now. It's the man. The person. He was such a good guy. The best. So genuine. Just normal and real. "Full of love for the people he cared about. Full of fun. "He was the most British foreign player I've ever met. We used to joke he was really Irish… I'd try to claim him as Scottish, obviously. I even called him Diogo MacJota. "We'd watch the darts together, enjoy the horse racing. Going to Cheltenham this season was a highlight - one of the best we had. "The last time I saw him was the happiest day of his life – his wedding day. I want to remember his never-ceasing smile from that magical day. How much he was bursting with love for his wife and family. "I can't believe we're saying goodbye. It's too soon, and it hurts so much. But thank you for being in my life, mate – and for making it better. Love you, Diogo."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Neto may miss Club World Cup quarter-final after death of friend Jota
Enzo Maresca has said that Pedro Neto is under no pressure to play in Chelsea's Club World Cup quarter-final in Philadelphia on Friday following the death of his friend Diogo Jota. The Chelsea manager said that Neto, who played with Jota at Wolverhampton Wanderers and with the Portugal national team, had been told he could decide whether he played against Palmeiras or not. Neto, 25, did not train in Miami ahead of the team flight to Philadelphia for the game that will kick off at 9pm local time (2am Saturday UK). Jota, the Liverpool forward, died in a car crash near Zamora in Portugal on Wednesday night. The 28-year-old father of three was killed, along with his brother Andre Silva, only 11 days after he married his childhood sweetheart, and his death has shocked football. 'In terms of Pedro, he's very sad,' Maresca said. 'Probably more than sad, but we are also close to Pedro to support him in this moment.' He added: 'It's completely Pedro's decision [whether he plays]. I had a chat this morning with Pedro. We support him. Any decision he will take is the correct one, and we are going to support him in any case. So it doesn't matter if he'll be on the pitch or not. [On Friday] we'll see how he is feeling. But in any case, we're going to support him.' Neto, who has emerged as one of Chelsea's most important players, signed for Wolves in 2019 – two years after Jota's arrival. Marc Cucurella, Neto's team-mate, suggested that the winger will play. 'In the morning he was sad and it was not his best moment. But we tried to stay together and in the afternoon he was a bit better and I told him that if he's going to play then he will score because that is destiny. 'Hopefully we can show his love and all the good friends that we are and dedicate the goal to him.' He added: 'Football is not important at times like this. The most important thing is that we show respect and all our love. It was a difficult moment because these things can happen to all of us in any moment. Then you start to think if you don't feel good, or you don't give 100 per cent, or feel s---, when these things happen it's important to be happy and live life every day.' The Chelsea captain Reece James said: 'I think the whole football world is devastated by the passing of Diogo and his brother. It's obviously a difficult time for everyone involved and his close friends and family. It's such a tragic accident. 'Of course he [Neto] is going to be upset. I think they were very close. Something so sudden. It's very difficult to react and support him in the right way when something so unexpected happens.' On Thursday night Portugal fans at the women's Euro 2025 match against Switzerland in Bern paid tribute to Jota, holding up portraits and waving flags. Mourners are set to gather to honour Jota at a wake in Portugal on Friday morning, a local priest has said. Jose Manuel Macedo, parish priest at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Sao Cosme, said a wake will take place for Jota and his brother at 8am at the nearby Capela da Ressurreicao before their funeral at the Igreja Matriz on Saturday at 10am. Tributes from the football world and beyond flooded in for the Portuguese forward on Thursday.
The Herald Scotland
41 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Motherwell fans need to lose 'get rid' urges amid new style
Ok, I admit it. When Calum Ward was dribbling the ball out from the back the other day and trying to thread passes on the edge of his 18-yarder as if he was Franz Beckenbauer in his pomp (he isn't) my heart was in my mouth just a little. I don't know if it's a reflexively Scottish thing to immediately get the heebie jeebies when your team tries something as 'continental' and 'woke' as playing the ball out from the back, but watching the Motherwell players trying to execute the philosophy of Jens Berthel Askou for the first time, even in a pre-season kickabout, seemingly sparked a dose of the vapours among a good chunk of the support. One can only imagine how many of the Fir Park punters would react if the team attempts this on the opening day of the league campaign against Rangers. Though, we don't really need to imagine it at all, because we can simply recall the reaction when Jim Gannon and then Graham Alexander initially tried it during their own tenures as manager. (Image: Craig Foy - SNS Group) With the greatest of respect to the likes of club legend Stephen Craigan and then later on, cult hero Bevis Mugabi, they didn't look altogether comfortable with the notion, to say the least. And as for the fans? Well, the good folk from St John's better be on alert for a sharp increase in medical incidents just above the dugouts. Read more: These managers soon ripped up Plan A, and tailored their style to suit the tools with which they were working. And after the friendly defeat to FC Twente, many speculated online that Berthel Askou would soon come to a similar realisation that his players just weren't good enough to pull this sort of thing off. That a modern, progressive style just isn't for the likes of us. But here's the thing. I'm not sure he will. Granted, he might not have his keeper playing quite so high up the pitch at times, and he clearly doesn't intend him to be on the ball quite as often as he was in the midweek game. Much of that was caused by the players ahead of the defence not quite executing the sort of movement he wants from them, by the by, hence the frequent shouts accusing them of 'hiding' from the dugout. There will be tweaks to what we saw against Twente when the competitive stuff gets underway, for sure, but when Berthel Askou arrived, his pitch was that a more 'dynamic' and 'aggressive' approach with 'more dimensions' was vital to the success of his team. Having met him, he doesn't seem the type to be swayed from that belief by groans from the crowd and people imploring him 'to get the ball up the f****** park'. Let's not forget, this is what a large section of the fanbase (me included) wanted. An end to years of predominantly long hoofs, 50/50s, and scrapping for second balls. Entertaining and enterprising football. Players taking the ball under pressure and being comfortable on it. High pressing, high intensity. And yes, a little higher risk. There were glimpses of it under Michael Wimmer, and now it seems from early impressions that Berthel Askou is going to crank that up another notch. (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) He has time to bring in players more suited to such a game model, but there were signs on Tuesday that even with the current group, this can work. When it came off, and when Motherwell broke the Twente press, they created opportunities. A proper balance will have to be found. There's nothing wrong with going long when the occasion demands it, and as some of the pitches deteriorate towards the winter, those occasions will increase. I can understand the reticence from some to embrace this sort of style. In a division where the margins are razor thin, increasing the risk around your own area seems counter-intuitive. But the rewards could be great. Brendan Rodgers picked up on this theme a couple of years ago. Ok, he has far better players at his disposal than Motherwell do, but when discussing taking his Celtic side into the Champions League, he hit back at those who criticised him for playing out against teams better than his own. "People don't pick up on the balls that get smashed up the pitch that come right back at you and it ends up in a goal,' Rodgers said. 'No-one ever talks about that. But the minute a short build-up leads to a goal? 'I guarantee the stats are greater for mistakes in the long ball build-up. Any top team in the world will build from the back. If you make a mistake, you can't kill your goalkeeper. It's about decision making.' This isn't Berthel Askou reinventing the wheel, here, after all. Teams around Europe have been doing this for years. And the players, no matter what you may think about some of them and their technical limitations, are capable of controlling the ball and passing it 10 or 15 yards. It all boils down to their decision-making, and with more practice and repetition, that will get better. But it will also take patience from the crowd. If we want to move away from the drudgery of the past and towards a more sophisticated and entertaining brand of football, we have to give Berthel Askou a chance to implement it. Therefore, I am hereby banning myself from uttering the words 'get rid!' in the early stages of the season, and I politely suggest you do the same. Even if we all know that little voice inside of us, who wants us to play it safe and to pretend it's still 1987, will be screaming at us to do so. Even if one hand is over my eyes, I'll be keeping the other one over my gub.
South Wales Argus
43 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Win Fortnum's hamper, Wimbledon prizes and John Lewis voucher
Three exclusive competitions are now open, offering rewards for foodies, tennis fans and those in need of a summer shopping spree. Luxury hamper from Fortnum & Mason The top prize in the luxury competition is a Marylebone Hamper from Fortnum & Mason, packed with gourmet treats and classic British favourites. It includes Piccadilly Piccalilli, Smoked Cheese Straws, Green Tomato Chutney and a tempting collection of sweet snacks such as Chocolossus Biscuits, Shortbread, White Chocolate Florentines and more. There's also breakfast fare including marmalade, honey, and preserves, along with a smart tea caddy containing three classic blends and a matching strainer. Coffee lovers can enjoy Fortnum's Piccadilly Blend Ground Coffee, while a bottle of Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne N.V. adds a celebratory flourish. Wimbledon collector's edition up for grabs Tennis lovers could get their hands on The Pinnacle of Sport – Deluxe Edition, a limited-edition book celebrating Wimbledon. Only 400 copies have been produced, each one presented in an elegant box with a signed art print from former British No.1 Tim Henman. The 252-page book is packed with photographs capturing the drama and tradition of The Championships. Five runners-up will each receive a 700ml Wimbledon water bottle featuring a bold tennis ball design. £250 John Lewis voucher in shopping prize A third competition offers one lucky subscriber a £250 John Lewis eGift Voucher – perfect for refreshing the home, updating a wardrobe or picking up something special. Known for its high standards and stylish selection, John Lewis remains one of the UK's most trusted shops. How to enter All competitions are open exclusively to subscribers. To be in with a chance, visit the competitions page and submit your entry.
