Diogo Jota
Diogo Jota, the talented Liverpool forward, was laid to rest on Saturday, July 5, in his hometown of Gondomar, Portugal. The Liverpool squad traveled to attend the funeral, joined by many of Jota’s former teammates and friends. Conor Coady, who played alongside Jota for three seasons at Wolverhampton Wanderers, delivered a heartfelt tribute to his former teammate.
Conor Coady said: “I think we’ll all remember where we were, but it goes bigger than football what we’re all feeling now. And it will hit everybody hard for a long, long time because Diogo was a fantastic human being, an amazing friend, an amazing husband, an amazing father and an absolutely incredible footballer for all the clubs he has played for. He was an unbelievable person. This is celebrating an incredible human being. A human being who should never have left us this early and this [early] into an amazing career.”
Jota’s journey in English football began when he joined Wolves from Atletico Madrid in 2017. His impact was immediate, helping the club secure promotion to the Premier League. Coady reminisced about Jota’s dedication and influence, both on and off the pitch.
Conor Coady said: “You could see it in his first session – that tenacity and the will to win was like no other. He was the heart and soul of the dressing room. He had a quiet way of going about himself. But you knew you could go to him about anything. For me as a captain, it was an honour and a dream to play with him. He was born to play in the Premier League but Wolves were in the Championship. I used to always tell young people they need to learn from players like Diogo and Ruben, who were brave enough to step into the Championship to help a club who were struggling at that time. He was brave enough to bring his childhood sweetheart to Wolverhampton and really buy into the culture of England. He was such an example for everybody. I absolutely loved him. As a captain, he was a dream to work with. But it was a pleasure to call him a friend.”
After three years at Wolves, Jota transferred to Liverpool for £41 million, where he continued to excel, contributing to the team’s Premier League triumph. Coady reflected on Jota’s departure from Wolves and his subsequent success at Liverpool.
Conor Coady said: “We were gutted we were losing him because he was that good. But at the same time, you gave him a big hug and you went: ‘You know what mate, you deserve it more than anyone. Go and enjoy yourself. Go and make a name for yourself at one of the biggest clubs because you can certainly do that.’ And he has done that for a number of years.”
Jota’s passing is a significant loss to the football community. His legacy as a player and person will be remembered fondly by those who knew him, both on and off the field.
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