One year has passed since the football world was left grief-stricken by the deaths of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in a car crash. Those who knew him best — teammates, managers, and colleagues — paint a picture of a man whose warmth and character far outshone even his considerable achievements on the pitch.

A career cut tragically short

Jota, who was 28 at the time of his death, had scaled the very heights of the game in the weeks before he died. He had just lifted the Premier League title with Liverpool and, 11 days before the crash, married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he shared three children.

His Liverpool record stood at 65 goals in 182 appearances, a haul that also included FA Cup and League Cup winners' medals in 2022. Internationally, he earned 49 caps for Portugal and scored 14 goals, with his final appearance coming on 8 June, 2025 — the Nations League final, in which Portugal beat Spain on penalties.

His career had begun at Pacos de Ferreira before Atletico Madrid acquired him in 2016. He never featured for Atletico, spending a season on loan at Porto and then joining Wolves on loan before completing a permanent move in 2018. Over three seasons at Wolves, he scored 44 goals in 131 appearances, helping the club win the Championship and reach the Premier League.

The team-mate everyone wanted

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who played alongside Jota from 2020 to 2025, told BBC Sport the bond they formed went well beyond the football pitch. The two met at Liverpool's old Melwood training ground during the pandemic, sharing a small group changing room, and the friendship grew from there.