Wolves players struggling with Diogo Jota death as Liverpool game awaits

Diogo Jota played for two clubs in England – Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool – and on December 27, the two teams will meet for the first time since his passing

Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota were teammates at Wolves(Image: MI News/NurPhoto)

Wolves player Matt Doherty spoke of the difficulty that he and his teammates had coming to terms with the death of Diogo Jota earlier this year.

Jota passed away in a car crash in Spain on July 3 as he journeyed back to the UK with his brother, who also died, ahead of the start of pre-season with Liverpool. The Portuguese forward played for two clubs in England – Wolves and Liverpool – and on December 27, the two teams will meet for the first time since his passing.

Liverpool welcomes Wolves to Anfield two days after Christmas, and Doherty thinks it could be an emotional occasion, just as it was when Wolves played the team's first Premier League game following Jota's death.

"When we played City at the first game of the season, with everything that went on before the game, me and [Jose] Sa found that quite difficult, because he was just a superstar, and I'm not even talking about on the pitch, just as a person," Doherty said.

"An unbelievable person, so humble, funny, and just a great teammate to have around the place, but somebody who put the team first.

"With forwards that's not always the case, you want your forward to be kind of selfish at times, but that was never the case with him.

Jota spent three years at Wolves(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

"He was an incredible human being, and it was an awful situation in the summer.

"It was one that a lot of us really struggled with, especially in that first game.

"I still listen to that song all the time.

"I hope something special happens when we play them, and I hope his family is there, because I’d love to see them.

"I know that he loved Wolves as well, so hopefully we can put on a show as well that would make him think it’s the club he recognizes."

Following Jota's death, countless fans visited Molineux to pay tribute to Jota by laying jerseys, scarves and flowers outside the stadium.

Jota was later inducted into the Midlands club's Hall of Fame, while supporters also funded a mural of Jota, which was painted on the outside of one of the walls of The Leaping Wolf Pub, near Molineux.

Jota spent three seasons at Wolves between 2017 and 2020, scoring 44 goals in 131 appearances.