We all read reams of football words but nothing stops us in our tracks like the sort of shock news we had this morning that Diogo Jota had died in a car crash.
 |
| Diogo Jota has died in a car crash aged 28 |
The Liverpool star was killed along with his brother in the early hours of the morning when his Lamborghini burst into flames as it left the A-52 motorway near Zamora in Spain following a suspected tyre blowout.
The Portuguese attacker was only 28 years old and had only been married a few days to his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.
A popular teammate, fan favourite and humble young man, he had spells with Pacos de Ferreira and Porto before flourishing at Wolves between 2017 and 2020 where he won the Championship, which put him on Liverpool's radar.
47 goals in 123 games for the Reds included winning the Premier League, F.A.Cup and League Cup, as well as a Champions League runners-up medal. For his country he won 49 caps and two UEFA Nations Leagues and played at two European Championship finals. As a player he will be remembered as a front-foot attacker whose energy and incisiveness always caused problems for opposing defences.
To lose such a young star and well-loved footballer in such shocking circumstances is beyond tragic and the football world is rightly united in sadness. At times like these we are brought together as a family in mourning to remember and honour one of our loved ones.
Jota shone wonderfully as a man and footballer. Life can be cruelly cut short, so we should not forget his example of how to be in the time we have on Earth.
Grief is the price we pay for love and Diogo was truly one of us.
(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile