Diogo Jota's sons join mascots at Anfield as star's former clubs pay tribute

Tributes have been paid to Diogo Jota as his two sons Dinis and Duarte joined mascots on the pitch ahead of the first fixture between his two former clubs at Anfield.

The players were led out by Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk to applause from fans on both sides.

Jota had a successful spell at Wolves before he joined Liverpool in 2020.

The Portugal forward was tragically killed, along with his brother Andre Silva, on 3 July in a car crash in Spain.

On Boxing Day night, Wolves attended tributes to the late footballer outside Anfield, laying down floral tributes to the star.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot turned his attention towards the footballer's family ahead of the game.

Writing in his matchday programme notes, Slot reflected on the past 12 months, which the Dutchman admitted "ignites a roller coaster of emotions" as he reflected on everything that has happened.

Slot said: "Doing so leads me to think especially of the family of Diogo Jota on what will be their first Christmas without him.

"It is not my place to tell them where they should look for comfort - if that is even possible - but I can only hope that the feeling of love and affection that Diogo still generates brings them some solace.

"The sense of loss will be particularly strong on Saturday, of course, as it will be the first time that Diogo's two English teams will meet since his tragic passing.

"Like us, Wolves were clearly very affected by the loss of such a special player and person so my thoughts continue to be with them also."

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Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also paid tribute to Jota ahead of the game.

Klopp told the Observer: "When I first met him properly, that spark was obvious straight away. Of course, he was a top footballer; we all saw that at Wolves.

"His movement, his finishing, his intelligence, his work-rate was elite. But what really caught my eye was the hunger, the humility.

"He didn't need to announce himself. He just worked. He listened. He tried to make the team better.

"And when I looked at Liverpool in 2020, I thought: 'We need this guy.' Not only for his football, but for his character."

(c) Sky News 2025: Diogo Jota's sons join mascots at Anfield as star's former clubs pay tribute