Diogo Jota was quickly hailed by the Liverpool support as “better than (Luis) Figo” and the shocking death of the Portuguese international on Thursday has left the English champions in mourning.
The 28-year-old died alongside his younger brother Andre after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northern Spain before bursting into flames.
A product of the Pacos de Ferreira academy on the outskirts of his native Porto, Jota made his name and played the majority of his professional career in the Premier League.
His precocious talent caught the eye of Atletico Madrid who snapped him up in 2016 but he never played a game for the Spanish giants.
Instead, after a loan spell at Porto, Jota was among the first wave of Portuguese talent parachuted into England at then second-tier Wolves due to the club’s connections with super-agent Jorge Mendes.
Jota’s goals helped fire Wolves from the Championship to the quarter-finals of the Europa League in just three seasons.
That caught the eye of Liverpool, who splashed out a £45 million ($62 million) transfer fee for the versatile forward even in the midst of the economic meltdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
“Exceptional player, exceptional boy,” said former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp during Jota’s early days at Anfield. “He has everything that a Liverpool player in this squad needs.”
Jota took little time to deliver some return on Liverpool’s investment, becoming the first player in the club’s history to score in his first four home games.
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