Liverpool pay tribute to Diogo Jota in first game since forwards death

Fans and players observed a minutes silence for Diogo Jota and Andre Silva at Deepdale

Tributes have been paid to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva at Liverpools first match since their death.

Portugal and Liverpool forward Jota and Silva, also a professional footballer, died in a car crash on 3 July in the Spanish province of Zamora.

Prior to the Reds first pre-season friendly at Preston North End, there were emotional renditions of Elvis Presleys Cant Help Falling in Love and Liverpool club anthem Youll Never Walk Alone.

During the latter, a visibly emotional Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath in front of the travelling Liverpool supporters.

The away end, filled with flags and scarves commemorating the former Porto and Wolves attacker, loudly sang Jotas song as the players walked out before an impeccably observed minutes silence.

At the start of the 20th minute, the crowd burst into another rendition of Jotas song.

There was a muted celebration when Conor Bradley opened the scoring for Liverpool, with the full-back looking up to the heavens as he walked back to his position.

Striker Darwin Nunez scored the Reds second and paid his own tribute by doing two of Jotas celebrations in front of the Liverpool fans.

Cody Gakpo followed suit after adding the third in a 3-1 win and then held his fingers up to signal the number 20, Jotas squad number at Liverpool.

The match programme had a black and white picture of Jota holding the Premier League trophy and featured tributes to the Liverpool player and his brother.

Liverpool have retired Jotas number 20 shirt across all areas of the club, making the announcement at 20:20 BST on Friday.

In his first interview since Jotas death, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot told Liverpool TV: "If we want to laugh, we laugh; if we want to cry, were going to cry.

"If they want to train they can train, if they dont want to train they can not train. But be yourself, dont think you have to be different than your emotions tell you.

"We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go."

Jota scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for Liverpool, helping them win the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022 and the Premier League title last season.

He played his final match for Portugal as they beat Spain in the final of the Nations League on 8 June. He scored 14 goals in 49 internationals.

The Guardia Civil told BBC Sport that Jota and his brother died after their car, a Lamborghini, left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another vehicle.

The brothers had been heading to the Spanish port of Santander so Jota could return to Liverpool for pre-season training.

Darwin Nunez did Diogo Jotas celebration after scoring Liverpools second goal

Thousands of Liverpool fans travelled to Deepdale, in practice to watch their team undertake their first run-out of the new campaign, but in reality to pay tribute to Jota and Silva and to show support to the team and coaching staff.

Those who packed out the Bill Shankly Kop belted out Jotas name before kick-off and followed that up with regular airing throughout the match, with Preston supporters joining them, standing and clapping along in rhythm, for a rendition in the 20th minute.

Fans brought with them whatever they could to demonstrate their love for a player whose tenacity, knack for scoring important goals in big games, and gregarious character made him one of the most highly thought-of players during the clubs recent period of success under Jurgen Klopp and Slot.

"I feel very emotional," Liverpool fan Jane, wearing a custom T-shirt dedicated to Jota, said. "I feel very proud of my team and all the tributes theyve put together."

One fan, Mathew, told me about the challenge of explaining Jotas death to his young children.

"It has been really difficult," he said. "I told my seven-year-old on the morning it happened and he just burst into tears. Its very hard for him to understand."

Mathews 15-year-old son Rafael – named after Champions League-winning Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez - added: "I feel gutted. But Liverpool is a family and weve all come together to pay our respects in the right way."

Liverpools anthem, Youll Never Walk Alone, has taken on many different roles throughout the clubs history, in times of both triumph and tragedy, but has never before been sung quite in this way or for quite this reason.

The way in which it was bellowed this afternoon conveyed an immense depth of feeling for a footballer adored by followers of his club, while for those on the pitch, playing without him for the first time will have been just one of many important stages of their grief.

There have scarcely been football matches less important than this, and yet, very few which have been imbued with as much meaning, emotion, and sheer love by those who made sure they were there to play their part.

Liverpools travelling fans paid tribute to Diogo Jota with flags, scarves and t-shirts

Liverpool and Preston players observed a minutes silence before kick-off

Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath in front of the Liverpool fans during a rendition of Youll Never Walk Alone

Prestons match programme featured a picture of Diogo Jota on the cover

Andy Robertson (third right) and Virgil van Dijk (right) were among the Liverpool players at Deepdale

Liverpool fans sang Diogo Jotas song in the 20th minute as the big screen showed a tribute to him and his brother Andre Silva