Forever 20: Why Diogo Jota Deserved Liverpool’s Ultimate Honour | OneFootball

Jota gave us moments. Liverpool FC just gave him immortality

Number 20 Forever

The club listened. That’s the first thing I want to say. We’re often told football is a business now, that it’s lost touch with its roots, its soul, its fans. But Liverpool Football Club, my club, didn’t get that memo. When it really mattered, when it needed to show humanity, compassion and class, it absolutely nailed it.

Diogo Jota’s passing has left a gaping hole in our hearts. A teammate, a talent, a fighter. Someone who always gave everything. Someone who, without ever demanding the spotlight, delivered when it mattered most. And now, in a gesture that’s as right as it is rare, Liverpool FC have retired the number 20 shirt. He will forever be our number 20. And for me, it’s exactly what needed to happen.

The Club Got It Right

From the first moment, Liverpool’s response has been flawless. The decision to remove the players from media duties last week was spot on. No pointless interviews, no empty words, just dignity, silence, space. That’s what was needed. Let the lads grieve in peace. Let them remember their friend. Football can be overwhelming. The machine never stops. But Liverpool pulled the brake.

On the tribute podcast I recorded with Eddie Gibbs for Anfield Index, I said I hoped the club would do the right thing. Not for the headlines, not for PR, just because it’s who we are. And they did. This wasn’t just a football club, this was a family showing how to handle grief. With grace, with heart, with class.

The way the club managed the entire week has been nothing short of exemplary. No grandstanding, just respect. And more importantly, they’ve set the tone for others. How to behave when something like this happens. That matters.

A City, A Country, A Game United

What’s blown me away most isn’t just the club’s response, but how the entire city has rallied. I’ve seen tributes outside Anfield, messages painted in red across Merseyside. Flowers, scarves, songs. It’s all come from a place of real love. It’s been organic, real, full of meaning. Fans across the country, not just Liverpool fans, have shown what football can still be about.

I’m based in Wolverhampton, so I had to pay my own respects at Molineux. I went there quietly, just a fan remembering a player who gave us everything. And what I saw from Wolves fans was moving. A former Wulfurian remembered with pride. That’s what got me. The class. The dignity. The recognition. They understood what Jota meant, and they honoured it.

Even beyond Wolverhampton, the tributes have come pouring in. Every corner of the football world seemed to pause for a second, to take a breath, and remember. Not just a footballer, but a human being. A teammate. A friend. A father. That’s the thing we forget, this game that eats up headlines every hour of the day is full of people. Real people. And in Diogo Jota’s case, one hell of a person.

All His Moments Counted

It’s hard to talk about Jota’s career now without that gut-punch of finality. It shouldn’t be over. He should be charging into the box next week. But when I look back at his time in red, what stands out isn’t just the goals, it’s the timing of them. He was a player of moments. And all of them counted.

Think about that strike at the Emirates in 2022. Arsenal away. Rain pouring down. Half-time, we were second best. City had dropped points the day before and we knew a win would pull us right back into the title race. Pressure? Immense. But Jota? He thrived on it.

Thiago does something magical in midfield, finds him in space, and bang. Through Ramsdale’s hands. Cannonball. Goal. That was Jota. Predatory, sharp, lethal. He didn’t just score goals. He changed matches. He flipped the script. That’s why we sang his name. That’s why the song was always there.

You know the one. The one that still spins around your head. The one he sang with us, laughing, buzzing, belonging. “Oh his name is Diogo” Simple, powerful, rhythmic. A song sung because we loved him. A song sung because he made us happy.

His final goal, too, was huge. Not just another stat. A goal that pushed us to the brink of another league title. He left the city red. Again. That’s how he went out, delivering a moment that really mattered. That’s his legacy. That’s why retiring the shirt feels right. He was number 20. He is number 20. Always.

Liverpool, The Classy Club

People talk a lot about club culture. Identity. DNA. It can feel like marketing fluff sometimes. But Liverpool still have it. Still live it. This past week has shown that.

Arne Slot is now in charge and deserves massive credit for the way he’s led the group through this. Winning the league in his first season was sensational. But the human side of leadership is often harder than the tactical one. And he’s handled it all impeccably. Quiet strength. Just what the lads needed.

Retiring a number at Liverpool is rare. Very rare. But when the decision came, there was no doubt in my mind. Jota’s number 20 deserved to be sacred. This wasn’t just for sentiment. This was for everything he gave, the weight of his moments, and the raw connection with the fans. He earned that immortality.

And it matters that it came from the top. From the club. They didn’t hesitate. They acted. They listened to fans like me, to the tone of the city, to the feeling around the world of football. And they did the right thing. I’m proud of them. I really am.

Because this is a moment where the game remembered what it was about. Not sponsors or broadcast rights or viral videos. But people. Emotions. Shared memories. Songs we’ll still sing, even if they now make our voices crack a bit.

More Than a Player

We can all name technically better players. We can all list those with fancier footwork or flashier highlight reels. But few hit the heart of the game like Diogo Jota. He was never padding stats. He was deciding matches. Shifting seasons. Making fans believe.

The song will live on. The goals will play forever in highlight reels. But more than that, it’s the feeling he gave us. That edge-of-your-seat anticipation. The chaos he brought to defences. The sense that something could happen, and probably would, the moment he got the ball in the box.

Jota gave us moments. Beautiful, sharp, unforgettable moments. That’s what football is all about. Not endless possession, not heat maps. Moments. And he gave us more than his share.

Now, every time someone asks what happened to the number 20 shirt, we’ll smile and say, it belongs to Diogo. And only Diogo. Because he earned that. With his boots, with his spirit, with his legacy.