Dutchman Arne Slot, the head coach of Liverpool FC, spoke about the death of Portuguese star Diogo Jota, confirming that his departure left a significant impact on everyone within the club.

Slot said: "We will always carry Jota with us in our hearts and thoughts wherever we go, retiring his number was the least we could do, and it was our duty to do so."

He added: "His death had a huge impact on all of us, but nothing compares to the pain his family is suffering. Our first feeling was deep sadness, followed by a sense of pride in what he was as a person before being a player."

He continued: "Jota was always himself, whether he spoke to me, his teammates, or the staff; he was always the same. So I tell everyone, be yourselves too. If you want to laugh, do it; if you want to cry, do it; if they want to train, they can train, and if they don’t want to, that’s okay. Never feel like you have to hide your feelings."

Slot concluded his statements by saying: "I worked with Jota for only one season, but he was very important to me, to the club, to the fans, and to his teammates, especially in difficult times."