مدير عام كرة القدم
- Local artist paints Jota mural
- Forward passed away earlier in July
- City mourning title winner’s death
The mural of Jota has been unveiled on the outside of the Halfway House, a popular matchday pub in Liverpool, as the city continues to pay tribute to the iconic forward. The painting was created by artist John Culshaw, who is also a Reds fan, and depicts the former Portugal international smiling and producing his trademark goal celebration.
Jota and brother Andre Silva passed away earlier this month following a car crash in Spain. Tributes have poured in from around the world of football and Liverpool remembered the siblings in their first pre-season friendly of the summer against Preston, with Jota’s chant sang loudly by all fans in attendance throughout the match.
Culshaw told the Guide Liverpool: “It shows Diogo Jota sending love out to the fans and by immortalising him in our city, it shows that we are sending the love right back.
“We tried to make it a bit less about football and more about Jota and what he means to us, to the fans. That was the thought behind the heart design and why we decided to go with it – it’s about his emotional connection with the fans.
“Jota seemed to have the sort of character that Scousers like to get behind, he always had a smile on his face and obviously he was a fantastic striker. Anybody who gets their own song, usually that’s a sign that they’re well-loved which he was.”
Best wishes and condolences are still flooding in for Jota, with Manchester United trio Ruben Amorim, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Jota recently laying a tribute to their compatriot outside Anfield.
