An emotional tribute to the Portuguese international on the Liverpool website called Jota a “respected and much-loved teammate“ both on and off the pitch, adding that “the No. 20 will be rightly immortalized for his contributions”.
Liverpool fans have appealed for the club to retire the number 20 shirt as a mark of respect and admiration for a player who had a huge impact on the side over the past few years. The 28-year-old wore the No. 20 across 182 games and his number could be put on the shelf by the club who have never done such a thing before.
The Liverpool statement partly reads, “What cruelly has proved to be his final flourish in football saw Jota become a Premier League champion and a UEFA Nations League winner.
“The No.20 will be rightly immortalized for his contributions as part of Liverpool’s 2024-25 title-winners – the club’s 20th – with his trademark shimmy and strike in front of the Kop to seal victory in April’s Merseyside derby a poignant last goal of his life.”
Retiring Jota’s shirt would be a touching tribute for the winger who put his heart and soul into the club. For his number to not be touched again out of respect would be a great gesture that fans would certainly appreciate in what is a dark time for football.