Liverpool star Diogo Jota - story of his career

Portuguese international footballer Diogo Jota died in the early hours of Thursday, aged 28, following a road accident in the province of Zamora, Spain.

According to the Spanish press, the accident occurred at around 4:00 a.m., at kilometre 65 of the A-52 motorway, near the municipality of Palacios de Sanabria.

The car he was travelling in caught fire after the accident. The player's brother, André Jota, was also in the car. The forward was on holiday after his recent wedding and before the start of Liverpool's pre-season.

He represented the national team 49 times and won two editions of the Nations League while playing for Portugal. The national sport is in mourning for the loss of one of its most notable figures. 

Training and first steps as a professional

Diogo Jota played for Gondomar as a youth player, the club where he would begin his career. The forward then moved to Paços de Ferreira's under-19 team in 2013/14, when he was 17, and the following year he was called up to the main team for the first time.

He made his debut under Paulo Fonseca in a Portuguese Cup match against Atlético Reguengos in a 4-0 victory, starting and scoring during the match. 

Jota only played one more season at the club from the Capital of Furniture, in 2015/16, when he scored 14 goals and made five assists. Those performances earned him the interest of Atlético de Madrid.

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Porto via Atletico Madrid move 

Diogo Jota caught the attention of Madrid and Atlético, who paid £7 million to sign the young player.

But the Portuguese player never actually wore the Atletico jersey and was loaned straight away to FC Porto. At Dragão, he played 38 games, scoring nine goals and providing four assists, but his stay in Portugal did not last long, as England and the Premier League came calling... 

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The journey and the dream of the Premier League

After a season at FC Porto, the forward moved to England on loan to Wolverhampton Wanderers, while still under contract to Atlético de Madrid.

In his first season, while Wolves were still in the Championship, Diogo Jota was coached by Nuno Espírito Santo. He played 46 games and scored 18 goals in his first season in England, contributing to promotion to the Premier League.

In 2018/19, Diogo Jota finally played in the best league in the world, fulfilling a childhood dream. That year, Wolverhampton finished seventh in a great Premier League campaign. Something they repeated the following year, also adding a notable appearance in the Europa League.

It was also that year that the forward was called up to the national team for the first time. His debut came in a European Championship qualifying match against Lithuania on 14 November 2019.

His performances, stats and European profile earned Jota new attention from Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool. 

Reaching the top at Anfield

In 2020/21, Liverpool paid almost £45 million Jota. A hefty sum, but one that the Portuguese player's performances have repaid.

In his first year with the Reds, Jota scored 13 goals in 30 games and established himself in the team. 

The forward has become one of the most mobile players in Liverpool's attack, with Klopp and then Arne Slot. Often relying on him to even settle games as a central figure in their frontline. 
 

@diogoj_18

 Diogo Jota in numbers 

 

Honours:

• 1 UEFA Nations League 2018
• 1 FA Cup 
• 2 League Cup
• 1 Championship