Liverpool: Arne Slot sends message to fans ahead of first Anfield game since Diogo Jota death | OneFootball

Club manager and captain Virgil van Dijk vow to keep former team-mate’s legacy alive

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and captain Virgil van Dijk have both detailed the squad’s reaction to Diogo Jota’s tragic death ahead of a return to Anfield on Monday evening.

This will be the first game at Anfield since the tragic passing of forward Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, which shook the club and the football world.

In a message to fans ahead of the game, Slot said: “It has been a tough time for everyone connected with the club, but especially for Diogo’s family, his wife, his children and friends.

“We cannot imagine the pain that they have been going through, and the club will continue to give them all the support they can going forward. We will always carry him with us in our hearts, in our thoughts, wherever we go.

“I want to mention the strength and the courage of my players here, too. They have found themselves in one of the toughest positions imaginable, but the way they have come together and the way they have conducted themselves, on and off the pitch, is a credit to them and to this football club. We really couldn’t have asked more of the boys, and I am extremely proud of them all.”

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk added: “With everything that happened, it has been strange having to now try to carry on with work, with football. We will never forget Diogo, of course, but we just have to try to honour his memory. That’s what we try to do each and every day.

“It is very important that we honour and carry on his legacy, not only for now and the next couple of months, but for as long as we can, because that is what he deserves.”