Around eight months after Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash, Trent Alexander-Arnold has paid another tribute to the late Liverpool star
Real Madrid and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has paid another tribute to the late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota. The Portuguese striker and his brother Andre Silva tragically died in a car crash last July in the Zamora area of Sanabria, Spain.
When the devastating news made its way around the shocked football world, tributes were made from all corners of the map. Liverpool withdrew the number 20 shirt in his memory, while the club's fanbase still sing Jota's name throughout fixtures when a match ticks into the 20th minute.
His legacy lives on in numerous ways, with both Anfield and Molineux – home of his previous club Wolverhampton Wanderers – serving as sites of tribute for supporters wanting to pay their respects. People from throughout the football community united to remember the two players following their tragic deaths.
A group of Liverpool players, headed by Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, travelled to the funeral in Gondomar, Porto, where many of his Portuguese compatriots such as Ruben Neves were also paying their respects.
Van Dijk and Robertson brought floral arrangements displaying the shirt numbers worn by Jota and Silva at their clubs. Despite Alexander-Arnold departing Anfield for Liverpool prior to Jota's death, he has continued paying tribute to his former team-mate.
When he came back to Anfield as a Real Madrid player, he placed flowers and an emotional message dedicated to 'Forever 20,' calling Jota a dear friend who 'lit up the room.'
The duo were close during their shared stint at Liverpool, and now the England star has opted to feature Jota's shirt number on his boots. Sharp-eyed supporters noticed the tribute which depicts the number 20 on his boots alongside an infinity symbol.
Alexander-Arnold's boots were spotted during Madrid's 1-0 victory in their Champions League play-off first leg against Benfica in Lisbon on Tuesday evening.
The 27-year-old played alongside Jota at Liverpool for five seasons before making a £10million switch to Spanish titans Madrid. Jota, on the other hand, transferred to Liverpool from Wolves back in September 2020.
The striker played a crucial part in the Reds' Premier League title triumph last season, featuring in 26 matches and netting six goals.