Diogo Jota: The adopted Scouser and Liverpool legend

The 28-year-old was an underdog who, quite simply, would never give up.

His path to becoming a Premier League champion wasn’t straightforward or easy. He fought his way to the top.

He was regularly knocked down but never knocked out. The city of Liverpool knows what that is like. There was a resilience to him that meant he was destined to be a success.

Having caught the eye as a youngster for Paços de Ferreira, he was snapped up by Atletico Madrid.

However, before even making an appearance for the LaLiga side, he was loaned to Porto. It was a successful stint in his homeland but a permanent move was not on the cards.

To the surprise of, well, everyone, he joined Championship side Wolves, initially on loan. In his first season with the club, he scored 17 league goals and played his part in firing them to promotion.

A permanent move was agreed and he was a key part of their seventh place finish in the English top-flight with nine goals. He followed that up with seven goals during the 2019/20 campaign.

Liverpool had been in the market for a striker. Links to Timo Werner were rife. Jonathan David was believed to be a target too, as was Ismaila Sarr. The Premier League Champions shocked the masses by signing one-time Everton transfer target Jota.

At a glance, it was a steep fee. The Reds paid £41million for a player who netted just seven goals the season prior. Werner, meanwhile, moved to Chelsea for £47million.

At the time, the feeling was that the Blues had secured the better deal. The Germany forward had 34 goals in his final season with RB Leipzig.

Jota thrived though. Being written off seemed to spur him on. He wasn’t just there to make up the numbers. The versatile forward finally gave Jurgen Klopp another Fab Four ™️ in attack.

Overlooked by Atletico, he dropped down into England’s second tier to move forward. Out of sorts at Wolves, he backed himself to compete with Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah at Liverpool.

That was the mentality of Jota.

He was the perfect fit for the Reds.

The No20 followed up a goal on his debut against Arsenal by scoring winners against Sheffield United, West Ham United and Wolves during his first campaign with the club.

He also netted the equaliser at Old Trafford late on in the season as Liverpool, in the midst of an injury crisis never seen by the club, to secure a Champions League place.

Jota made a habit out of scoring big goals.

During the 2021/22 campaign, a season in which Liverpool were just two positive results away from a historic treble, the forward chipped in with memorable moments. He kicked off the season with the opening goal against Norwich.

He then scored against Manchester United, Arsenal, Everton, Manchester City and Spurs that season in the Premier League, all while helping the Reds win a domestic cup double.

The one-time Porto man finished with 15 Premier League goals that term, showcasing his ability to be the penalty box poacher many didn’t have him pegged as.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Jota as a Liverpool player. He had injuries. A lot of them.

In fact, he was rarely 100% fit, as Klopp once explained: “Diogo gets in each game knocks like crazy. If I go through the list of medical reports I got over the years since Diogo is here, he’s in each and every one of them. Not as injured, just as – ‘has a bruise, has a knock, has that’ – after each game. He really gets it [during the games].”

Injuries really did impact him. Just as he was getting going, he’d have a stint on the sidelines. Without them, he was one of the most impactful centre-forwards in the Premier League.

Prior to last season, he had 41 goals in 97 appearances for Liverpool in the English top flight.

Again, though, these setbacks allowed his mentality to shine. He once went 372 days without a goal for the Reds. After breaking his duck against Leeds, he went on to score five in his next four appearances, including a last minute winner against Spurs in that iconic 4-3 game.

That was Jota, though.

Injuries, important goals and proving people wrong.

This pattern carried over into last season as he played his part in Liverpool winning the Premier League title. He netted the first goal of the Arne Slot era in the win over Ipswich.

Jota scored winners against Crystal Palace and Everton. He assisted both goals in a win over Wolves and equalised in games versus Fulham and Nottingham Forest.

So many big moments across just 1,400 minutes.

He wasn’t on the pitch as often as any Liverpool fan would’ve liked, but he made it count when he was.

Jota could’ve signed for the Premier League champions and accepted his place as a squad player. He could’ve seen the Reds spend big money on Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez and accepted he’d be a rotation option because of his injuries.

But his attitude and mentality didn’t allow him to. He didn’t accept anything other than giving his all and doing his best.

And that is why he was adored by Liverpool fans.

An adopted Scouser. A Liverpool legend. He’s better than Figo, don’t you know?