Liverpool commission permanent Diogo Jota tribute at Anfield

Tributes for Diogo Jota

Liverpool have commissioned a sculpture to be made in honour of Diogo Jota outside Anfield after the thousands of floral tributes to their No.20 were gradually removed in recent days.

the Reds players will wear a specially-designed patch with ‘Diogo J 20’ stitched on in memory of their team-mate across the two games in the Far East, starting with AC Milan at the Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday evening (12.30pm UK time).

A floral tribute will also be laid before kick-off at the pre-season games in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Anfield.

Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva, were involved in a fatal car crash in north-west Spain earlier this month as the Portugal international attempted to make his way back to Merseyside for the start of pre-season training.

The club have since retired the popular Portuguese’s No.20 squad number across all levels after consultation with the player's family, and they have now announced a number of further tributes for a forward who joined from Wolves in September 2020.

Floral tributes that were left outside the stadium following the passing of the striker will now be composted and used in flower beds across all club sites, including Anfield, the AXA Training Centre and AXA Melwood Training Centre.

The remaining artefacts are set to be recycled by a specialist company and used to help create a permanent memorial for Jota, that will become a future focal point of remembrance at Anfield. The design itself remains the subject of dialogue.

In the meantime, a temporary area of reflection has been created outside the ground itself so people can continue to pay their respects.

Any supporters paying to have Jota’s name on their shirts will see the sum donated to the LFC Foundation and when the club’s new Adidas kits are launched on August 1,

Reds players will display their own tribute with a specially made ‘Forever 20’ emblem printed into their shirts and stadium jackets, which will remain in place for the season.

The LFC Foundation has also committed to creating a grassroots football programme in Diogo’s name, while a special fan mosaic and a minute of silence is being planned for the first game of the Premier League season, against Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday August 15