Steven Gerrard returns to Liverpool to honour Jota and Andre Silva | OneFootball

Steven Gerrard has become the latest Liverpool great to pay his respects to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva at Anfield, as the club and wider football world continue to mourn the loss of the two brothers.

The former captain, who made over 700 appearances in red, returned to the stadium on Thursday morning to add a personal tribute to the growing memorial outside the Main Stand.

Hundreds of shirts, scarves, banners and flower arrangements have now transformed the area into a sea of red remembrance following the tragic road accident in Spain that claimed the lives of the Portuguese pair last week.

Gerrard was joined at Anfield by members of the Steven Gerrard Academy, the Merseyside-based youth education and football institution he founded in 2011.

The group collectively laid flowers and observed a moment of quiet reflection at the site.

Anfield memorial grows as football world unites in Jota grief

Picture via liverpoolfc.com

Gerrard’s gesture follows a long list of visits from current and former players, coaches, and executives — including Andy Robertson, Arne Slot, and Michael Edwards, all of whom have placed flowers and cards at the site in recent days.

The club’s CEO Billy Hogan also described the support from rivals too, specifically thanking Everton after visits from David Moyes, Seamus Coleman and others.

Incredibly moving scenes have also been witnessed far from Anfield — including flowers left outside the club’s Dublin and Belfast stores, and a banner raised in Iraq by fans of Zakho SC which read: “Death took you away from us, but you will stay alive in our hearts.”

Focus remains on Sunday’s friendly and Jota’s memory

Picture via liverpoolfc.com

Liverpool will return to the pitch for the first time since Jota’s passing, on Sunday afternoon against Preston North End at Deepdale.

The match will be streamed live via All Red Video and LFCTV, and will include tributes to the No.20, who made 182 appearances for us following his move from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020.

Gerrard’s quiet act of remembrance is yet another reminder that, while the new season edges closer, Jota’s impact and memory remain front and centre for all of us.