In Diogo Jota, football has lost a natural goalscorer

It might be cliché but the sentiment “there is more to life than football” rings true in the week the sport has gone through.

The death of Diogo Jota, at just the age of 28 in a car accident in Spain, has really hit home as an awful unexplainable tragedy. The loss of a life so young and so heart-breaking has struck a chord on why despite rivalries and intense competition, football takes a backseat.

The death of his brother Andre Silva too at 25 leaves a family ripped apart, the tragedy gut-wrenching even more when Jota only got married to his wife Rute three weeks ago leaving three children without their dad.

Sport is in mourning at how Diogo Jota has passed, a Portuguese and Liverpool superstar at the peak of his career and only recently celebrating a Premier League title in front of the Kop.

We may not know footballers personally but the emotions this week does put everything into perspective. Liverpool and Portugal players will be in mourning not only because of the person itself but also the immense talent Diogo Jota had.

When Jurgen Klopp signed him he knew he was a player who had so much potential, his £45m deal from Wolves in 2020 always on the cards after helping Nuno Espirito Santo’s side return to the Premier League in 2018.

A domestic cup double of the FA Cup and League Cups in 2022, a two-time winner of the Nations League with Portugal, winning the Championship with Wolves and the popular “our lad from Portugal” lifted the Premier League title.

His final goal against Everton will now be poignant to remember a player who will go down as one of the best finishers in Liverpool history.

Taken far too soon, it will take time to absorb what has happened, but what can be said – watching a humble Diogo Jota score goals for fun is something football will dearly miss.