'Always part of the Anfield family' - Jose Mourinho pays beautiful tribute to Liverpool star Diogo Jota

Jota and his brother will be laid to rest on Saturday in Gondomar, their hometown in Portugal. A wave of tributes have poured in from across the football community, as players, coaches and fans alike grapple with the shock of losing a player who had reached the pinnacle of the sport and still had so much more to offer.

Among the many prominent figures to pay homage to Jota was his compatriot Mourinho. While speaking at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the Portuguese coach offered heartfelt words in memory of the late striker.

"When people leave this world, normally we all say 'such a nice guy'. Diogo was really a nice guy," Mourinho told Sky Sports.

"He had my agent [Jorge Mendes], so of course I knew a lot about him. And people in Liverpool know what I’m saying is true. He is a kid who nothing was easy for him, he had to fight to arrive where he arrived. Three kids without a dad, a young woman without her husband, the parents lose both sons…it’s crazy. It’s difficult to understand. Maybe one day we will understand but not now."

The tragedy brought back painful memories for Mourinho, who recalled the death of Rui Filipe, a Porto midfielder, in a similar accident in 1994. At the time, Mourinho was serving as assistant to Bryan Robson.

"It happened with me many, many years ago when I was working at Porto with Mr Robson. One of our boys, a loved boy, died in a car crash," he narrated.

"Instead of the boys suffering alone it was like the group suffered together and trying to fight for his memory. It was a boy Rui Filipe and we were champions, I think, for him. In Liverpool they’re going to suffer together. The club is a fantastic club. I think they are deciding to take away the shirt number 20. At Anfield he will always be part of the family and maybe they lose a player but maybe they win even more soul than what they have."

Memorials will no doubt spring up both in Liverpool and Portugal, as supporters remember the man who brought so much joy to the game. As Mourinho so poignantly put it, Jota may no longer wear the red of Liverpool, but his presence will forever be felt at Anfield.