Mohamed Salah is at a loss for words regarding the passing of Diogo Jota, while Andy Robertson honors “two cherished individuals.”

Mohamed Salah has paid a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota following the tragic passing of the Portugal international and his brother in a car accident.

The 28-year-old Jota lost his life early on Thursday morning alongside his 25-year-old sibling, Andre Silva, who had a professional career with Portuguese club Penafiel. The news has sent shockwaves through the football community, with tributes flooding in from clubs, governing bodies, and sports professionals alike.

Salah, who shared the pitch with Jota for five seasons at Liverpool, expressed his deep sorrow, stating that the loss is “extremely difficult to accept.” He took to social media platform X to share his feelings, saying, “I am truly lost for words. Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break.”

He continued, “Team-mates come and go but not like this. It’s going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won’t be there when we go back. My thoughts are with his wife, his children, and of course his parents who suddenly lost their children. Those close to Diogo and his brother Andre need all the support they can get. They will never be forgotten.”

Andy Robertson, who attended Jota’s wedding to Rute Cardoso just 11 days before his untimely death, shared an emotional message on Instagram, describing Jota as “the bloke I loved and will miss like crazy.”

“The ones I’m thinking about most right now are the family,” Robertson wrote. “Their loss is too much to bear. I’m so sorry that they have lost two such precious souls – Diogo and Andre. For the team and the club, we’ll try to cope with this together… however long that takes.”

He added, “For me, I want to talk about my mate. My buddy. The bloke I loved and will miss like crazy. I could talk about him as a player for hours, but none of that feels like it matters right now. It’s the man. The person. He was such a good guy. The best. So genuine. Just normal and real. Full of love for the people he cared about. Full of fun.”

Robertson reminisced about their shared moments, saying, “He was the most British foreign player I’ve ever met. We used to joke he was really Irish… I’d try to claim him as Scottish, obviously. I even called him Diogo MacJota. We’d watch the darts together, enjoy the horse racing. Going to Cheltenham this season was a highlight – one of the best we had.”

He concluded with a poignant memory of Jota’s wedding day, stating, “The last time I saw him was the happiest day of his life – his wedding day. I want to remember his never-ceasing smile from that magical day. How much he was bursting with love for his wife and family. I can’t believe we’re saying goodbye. It’s too soon, and it hurts so much. But thank you for being in my life, mate – and for making it better.”

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson also visited Anfield on Friday to pay his respects, laying flowers and a Liverpool scarf in honour of Jota, who was a father of three.

“Jots it was a pleasure to share a pitch with you but more importantly a friendship,” Henderson wrote on social media. “All the laughs we had off the pitch and trying to find ways to wind Milly (James Milner) up and get him fined, which we never could. Taking pictures of me asleep on the bus travelling then sending them to me later. You always wanted to have a laugh and were a pleasure to be around.”

He added, “I know how much Rute and your family meant to you and I know you will always be looking down on them. Thank you for everything you brought into this world, we will all miss you.”

Jota and Henderson lifted the FA Cup and League Cup together in the 2021/22 season, with Jota scoring 21 goals across all competitions and helping Liverpool reach the UEFA Champions League final.

A public wake for Jota and Silva will be held at 16:00 UK time at the Capela da Ressurreicao on Friday, with their funeral taking place at the nearby Igreja Matriz de Gondomar in Porto on Saturday at 10:00 UK time.