Mohamed Salah 'truly lost for words' over Diogo Jota death, Andy Robertson hails 'two precious souls'

Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson have both offered their heartfelt tributes to team-mate Diogo Jota and brother Andre Silva, both of whom were killed in a car crash on Thursday. Jordan Henderson paid a visit to Anfield on Friday to lay flowers and a Liverpool scarf in their honour. Their funeral will be held on Saturday morning at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Porto.

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal with team-mate Diogo Jota during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on April 19, 2022 in Liverpool, England.

Image credit: Getty Images

Mohamed Salah has offered his tribute to Diogo Jota after the Portugal international and his brother tragically passed away.

The 28-year-old died early on Thursday morning in a car crash alongside his 25-year-old sibling Andre Silva, who played professionally for Portuguese side Penafiel.

Tributes poured in for the pair from clubs, governing bodies and sports professionals after the news was confirmed.

And Salah, who was Jota's team-mate for five seasons at Liverpool, said the loss was "extremely difficult to accept".

"I am truly lost for words," Salah wrote on X. "Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break.

"Team-mates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back.

"My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get.

"They will never be forgotten."

Andy Robertson, who attended Jota's marriage to Rute Cardoso 11 days before his death, wrote a heartfelt message to "the bloke I loved and will miss like crazy" on Instagram.

"The ones I’m thinking about most right now are the family," wrote Robertson.

"Their loss is too much to bear. I’m so sorry that they have lost two such precious souls – Diogo and Andre.

"For the team and the club, we’ll try to cope with this together… however long that takes.

"For me, I want to talk about my mate. My buddy. The bloke I loved and will miss like crazy. I could talk about him as a player for hours, but none of that feels like it matters right now.

"It’s the man. The person. He was such a good guy. The best. So genuine. Just normal and real. Full of love for the people he cared about. Full of fun.

"He was the most British foreign player I’ve ever met. We used to joke he was really Irish… I’d try to claim him as Scottish, obviously. I even called him Diogo MacJota.

"We’d watch the darts together, enjoy the horse racing. Going to Cheltenham this season was a highlight - one of the best we had.

"The last time I saw him was the happiest day of his life – his wedding day. I want to remember his never-ceasing smile from that magical day. How much he was bursting with love for his wife and family.

"I can’t believe we’re saying goodbye. It’s too soon, and it hurts so much. But thank you for being in my life, mate – and for making it better."

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson visited Anfield on Friday to pay his respects, laying down flowers and a Liverpool scarf in honour of Jota, who was a father of three.

"Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship. All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind Milly [James Milner] up and get him fined, which we never could," Henderson wrote on social media.

"Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around.

"I know how much Rute and your family meant to you and I know you will always be looking down on them. Thank you for everything you brought into this world, we will all miss you."

The pair lifted the FA Cup and League Cup together in the 2021/22 season, when Jota scored 21 goals across all competitions, also helping Liverpool to the UEFA Champions League final.

A public wake for Jota and Silva will be held at 16:00 UK time at the Capela da Ressurreicao on Friday and their funeral will take place at the nearby Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Porto on Saturday at 10:00 UK time.

For help and support, contact Samaritans on 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org/

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