Kostas Tsimikas posts heartbreaking image of Diogo Jota shirt placed at crash scene of deceased Liverpool star as he pens emotional tribute message

The tragic image shows a Liverpool shirt with Jota's name on the back pictured at the scene of the fatal crash, which took place in Cernadilla, Spain, in the early hours of Thursday morning. Tsimikas captioned the Instagram post with an emotional message dedicated to his former teammate and close friend.

Tsimikas expressed in the message how himself and Jota arrived at Anfield the same year in 2020, growing at the club together and sharing some special memories. He spoke of their close relationship both on and off the pitch, between two players who may not be Scousers by birth, but who were welcomed into the Liverpool family as their own. Tsimikas is often lovingly referred to as the 'Greek Scouser' by fans, while Andy Robertson recently said Jota was "the most British foreign player he has ever met" in his own emotional tribute to the late forward.

Tsimikas begun his post on Instagram by quoting Jota's famous Liverpool chant: "Oh he wears the number 20 and his name is Diogo."

He continued: "We’ve moved to the club the same period. We were the new boys in the city. We’ve shared and celebrated some of our best moments of our careers together. Before one of our last ones you’ve said to me 'You cross, I score' and that’s what happened. We laughed and we talked about lots.

"You were a special player, a special guy, a true legend Diogo. You’ll always be remembered and always be loved. My heart and my prayers are with your Rute, your boys, your little girl, your family and everyone who loved and waited for you both to go home. You and your brother André will be missed forever."

Tsimikas then had some powerful words in Greek: "Good paradise Diogo and Andre. May God give strength to your loved ones to endure the nightmare and may they one day see the light again," he said.

"We love you Diogo. YNWA."

Friends and family will come together to celebrate the lives of Diogo and Andre at their funeral in Porto, Portugal on Saturday morning. Tsimikas and his Liverpool teammates will need some time to come to terms with their great loss, but they will no doubt play in the memory of Jota next season and forever thereafter, ensuring his memory lives on at Anfield and beyond.