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Scottish Sun
25 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Diogo Jota won it all with Liverpool but he was not only a highly gifted footballer – he was also one of the good guys
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DIOGO JOTA won every major honour in English football with Liverpool before a car crash cruelly cut short his life. But the pain of Jota's death will also be felt particularly hard at Wolves, where he played a key role in the club's transformation, as well as in his native Portugal. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 11 Diogo Jota tragically died alongside his brother in a car crash in Spain Credit: Rex 11 Jota married long-term partner Rute Cardoso on June 22 Credit: 11 Jota and Rute have three young children Credit: 11 Jota's brother Andre, pictured together in their younger days at Porto, also died in the crash Credit: FC Porto The versatile forward was part of the squad that won a second Nations League title last month. And in the last fortnight, Jota had married long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children. They were heartbreakingly pictured with their two sons, Dinis and Duarte, and baby daughter, whose name is unknown, at the wedding. Jota's sudden death at the age of 28, along with brother and fellow footballer Andre in an horrific accident, is heartbreaking. Because Jota was not only a highly gifted footballer, he was also one of the good guys. An intelligent, thoughtful man, who spoke English better than some natives and who dedicated himself to his career and family. By helping Liverpool win the Premier League title last season, Jota completed the full set of domestic trophies after the Reds lifted the FA Cup and League Cup in 2021/22. Although injury and competition for places restricted Jota's contribution, he still scored key goals as Arne Slot's side claimed a record-equalling 20th English championship. 11 What turned out to be the last of his 65 strikes for the Reds was the only goal in the Merseyside derby at Anfield in February. It was typical Jota. While Everton defenders hesitated, the small but strong Portuguese forward bustled on to the ball, beat two men and buried the ball in the net. Jota had bumps in the road before reaching the top of the game with Liverpool and Portugal. After making his debut for Pacos de Ferreira at the age of 17, he moved to Atletico Madrid at 19. But he soon went on loan to Porto, where he did well enough to attract the attention of ambitious Wolves, who were then in the Championship. In his first season in England, he scored 17 league goals to fire the club back into the Premier League as champions. Jota was a popular member of the dressing room which featured a strong Portuguese contingent. 11 11 Jota won the Premier League with Liverpool last season Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 Jota also recently won the Uefa Nations League with Portugal Credit: Getty 11 Team-mates and fans have been left devastated by the news Credit: PA He held his own in the top flight, but there was some surprise when Liverpool signed him in a deal worth up to £45m. Yet in his five seasons at Anfield, he played an important role in the Reds' potent front four as the club claimed English honours and went close to European glory. Jota scored 21 times as Jurgen Klopp's side hunted down a Quadruple in 2021/22, winning the domestic cups, taking the title race to the final day and losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid. His total of 65 goals in 182 appearances does not tell the full story of his contribution on and off the field. After coming close more than once, it was special for Jota finally to lift the Premier League trophy in May. Jota was not only a highly gifted footballer, he was also one of the good guys. An intelligent, thoughtful man, who spoke English better than some natives and who dedicated himself to his career and family. For Portugal, Jota was part of a generation that delivered glory. He was uncapped when selected in the squad for the Nations League final stages on home soil in 2019 and did not feature, making his debut later in the year. Jota would go on to score 14 in 49 appearances for his country. His last was as an extra-time substitute in last month's Nations League final against Spain, which Portugal won on penalties. That triumph was part of what was surely the best year of Jota's life. For it to have ended, in such terrible circumstances, is incomprehensible. 11 Jota's heartbreaking final post before the accident that took his life was a scene from his wedding Credit:
Daily Mirror
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Diogo Jota refused to cry over health issue parents feared would end his career
Liverpool star Diogo Jota, who has died in a car accident, once doubted whether he would even become a professional footballer after an undiagnosed issue was discovered during a medical Diogo Jota was previously diagnosed with a heart condition that threatened to jeopardise his football career. The Liverpool forward, who tragically died in a car accident alongside his brother Andre Silva on Thursday, won several major honours after signing for the Reds from Wolves in 2020. Jota, 28, played an important role as Arne Slot's side clinched the Premier League title last season, featuring 26 times. He scored 65 goals in 182 games for Liverpool, where he also won the FA Cup and League Cup. At international level, the forward won the Nations League with Portugal for a second time in June. However, there were fears that Jota would not have a professional football career after a heart issue was discovered during his medical ahead of joining Pacos de Ferreira in 2013. The then-17-year-old Jota missed pre-season, only being allowed to return after an electrophysical study cleared him. His parents had worried that Jota would be unable to continue his football career. However, Pacos de Ferreira's youth team co-ordinator Gilberto Andrade recalled Jota refusing to cry and keeping level-headed while he waited for the verdict. 'We never made a big deal of it – these situations happen very often and are usually clarified right after,' Andrade recalled to the Telegraph in 2020. 'He always remained calm.' While his family may have been concerned about Jota's prospects, the Liverpool star always believed a solution would be found. He was proven right and joined Atletico Madrid in 2016 before later moving to England with Wolves. However, Jota remembered how it felt when his career was on hold. 'That was a difficult moment. It had the sort of impact that made me ask, 'Will I be able to continue playing?'' he admitted to FourFourTwo Magazine in 2021. 'But I always keep a positive mentality in those situations, trusting that everything was going to be all right. I knew it could mean quitting football, but I didn't believe for a second that it was going to happen. 'In Portugal, we use the phrase, 'You shouldn't put the cart before the horse' – don't draw conclusions before you know the facts. The whole thing happened on my first day of work, when you undergo fitness tests. "It was a bit of a scare because there was some alteration in my electrocardiogram. I had to be submitted for an electrophysiological study. Only after that was I given medical clearance to continue playing. I ended up missing part of pre-season and my senior debut was delayed.' The Liverpool forward and his brother Andre tragically died in a car accident in Zamora, Spain on Thursday. A statement from the Guardia Civil said: "The information we have so far is that the car, which was a Lamborghini, was in a traffic accident and left the road due to a tyre blow out while overtaking." Jota had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso as recently as June 22. The couple have three children. A Liverpool club statement read: 'Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre. 'Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre's family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support.'
Sky News
27 minutes ago
- Sky News
Apprentice star Brady backs Reeves after Commons tears
Conservative peer Baroness Karren Brady has told Sky News she feels 'nothing but sympathy' for the chancellor, after Rachel Reeves was seen crying in the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions. Ms Reeves was seen visibly crying in the chamber the morning after her government was forced into another U-turn on welfare reform by Labour backbenchers, all but wiping out any savings in spending she was hoping to achieve. The Prime Minister failed to back his chancellor until after PMQs, leading markets to question her future. The Apprentice star warned: "She will be labelled 'weak' because it's a woman crying, the first woman chancellor, and I think that's a very dangerous thing." The aide to Lord Sugar, who was elevated to the upper chamber in 2014 by David Cameron, agreed with Kemi Badenoch's statement that "the leader of the opposition called her 'a shield', which the Prime Minister is hiding behind and there's probably a bit of truth in that as well." 1:16 Baroness Brady, who has previously been critical of negative economic sentiment from the Labour government and tax hikes on business, said Ms Reeves is "a strong, diligent person doing her job to the best of her ability under incredibly difficult circumstances". Earlier this year she told a newspaper that Reeves' hikes in business taxes "lacks an understanding of how businesses operate" and that last year's rise in employers' national insurance was a "mis-step". 11:07 However, speaking at an event in the City of London, Baroness Brady expressed sympathy with the chancellor saying: "Many people cry at work, most of them can go and hide in the toilet and not be seen. "Being emotional is largely in part because you care very much about what you're doing and how you're doing it." However, she did maintain her differences of opinion on the administration's approach to the economy, but stated: "She's made some pledges, that through no fault of her own, she may not be able to deliver because the floor has changed from underneath her." Aged 23, Baroness Brady was appointed as managing director of Birmingham City FC in 1993, and in 1997 became the youngest managing director of a UK plc, when the club floated on the London Stock Exchange.
