Diogo Jota is more than just a football player. He is a father and a son. Unfortunately, Jota also became a husband just a few days before passing away at the age of 28.
Jota's path to the top at Liverpool and the Portuguese national team is a bit different from many other colleagues. Unlike most potential Portuguese players, he did not participate in the prestigious academies of Benfica, Sporting or Porto as a teenager.
But that was not all. Jota also paid for himself to play for his local club Gondomar when he was 16. When he talked to the 28-year-old about it three years ago, he tried to edit that detail. "It's not me who paid, it's my parents," Jota said.
"In Portugal, things are different to England. I play for a small club and we have to pay monthly to be able to play. It was only when I moved to Pacos de Ferreira in 2013 that I started receiving some money," Jota said in 2022.
Humility, self-awareness and motivation. Perhaps that word cannot fully describe Jota's journey to become a Premier League star.
Initially, some opinions said that Jota could not cope with the fierce competition in the English second division. However, Jota has been skeptical about that.
After being promoted to the Premier League, it took him a while to adapt. However, the change in position fueled his career in December 2018, when he scored the decisive goal against Chelsea. After that, Jota got his first hat-trick in his football career in England in a dramatic 4-3 win over Leicester.
Thanks to his impressive form at Wolves, Jota was targeted by coach Jurgen Klopp and officially joined Liverpool in 2020 for 45 million Euros.
At Anfield, he played a total of 182 matches, scoring 65 goals, contributing 21 assists and helping the team win the Premier League. From a difficult start, Jota has affirmed himself at the top level thanks to his fiery playing style, dedication and readiness to explode in big matches.
In 5 seasons at Liverpool, Jota has won every possible title in English football. There have been many long-term injuries and long periods of poor form, but Jota has always known how to speak up when Liverpool need him most.
In January this year, when Liverpool let Nottingham Forest take the lead, Jota immediately appeared and scored the equalizer just 22 seconds after entering the field. In April, he also scored the decisive goal against Everton in the Merseyside derby.
It is now difficult to think about the fact that those were also his last two goals. There are many regrets about Jota, not only on the pitch but also off the pitch. If there is any comfort, it is from the thought that Jota has done more than he dreamed of.
All football fans will love and have the greatest respect for Jota!
