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Diogo Jota was a football maverick who made opponents look foolish and a Liverpool legend

Diogo Jota leaves football mourning in the prime of his career, but the highlights of his career are brilliant as one of his final moments on the pitch came in pure joy as he held aloft the Premier League

[Liverpool are mourning the tragic loss of Diogo Jota]

Diogo Jota leaves football with the most brilliant memories of him(Image: PA)

The highlights of Diogo Jota's career are brilliant. But also tragically too brief.

Because his horrific death in a car accident in Spain has robbed the footballing world of special talent. He was just 28 and had the prime of his career still ahead of him.

Less than three months ago he was the epitome of happiness, as he lifted the Premier League trophy alongside his Liverpool team-mates. It was a reflection of the level of achievement he had reached.

Once Jota started producing his magic for Wolves after joining them from Atletico Madrid in 2018, it was inevitable one of English football's biggest clubs would come calling. Liverpool did just this in 2020, spending 45m to lure Jota to Anfield.

Reports suggest Jurgen Klopp made it his mission to get Jota, having watched him score a blistering hat-trick in just 11 minutes for Wolves against Besiktas in the Europa League, having gone on as a second half substitute.

[Diogo Jota]

Jota celebrates winning the Premier League(Image: Getty Images)

Jota was a bundle of pace, power and precision in front of goal. A defender's worst nightmare. He could operate with equal brilliance across a front three.

Some footballers have joined Liverpool in the past and struggled to live up to the expectations and demands of one of the world's biggest clubs. But not Jota.

He scored on his Premier League debut in a home win against Arsenal.

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Liverpool star Diogo Jota dead at 28 as football world mourns

[Alisson's reason for missing funeral]

Alisson's reason for missing funeral

[Jota neighbour: He 'never wanted fame']

Jota neighbour: He 'never wanted fame'

[Diogo Jota's life with beautiful family]

Diogo Jota's life with beautiful family

[Diogo Jota was football maverick]

Diogo Jota was football maverick

He scored the club's 10,000th goal in a Champions League clash with Midtjylland, and delivered a hat-trick in a 5-0 thrashing of Atalanta in the same competition.

In doing so, he became the first player since Robbie Fowler in 1993 to score 7 goals in his first 10 Liverpool appearances.

Jota would go on to help Liverpool win a domestic double and reach the Champions League final in 2022, before achieving the ultimate domestic success last season.

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He fell one short of winning 50 caps for Portugal, and in 395 career appearances scored 133 goals.

But one in particular sums Jota up best. It came against bitter rivals Manchester United at the end of his first season with Liverpool, when he back-heeled the ball into the net in a 4-2 win which helped his side finish third and secure Champions League qualification.

It was the act of a footballing maverick which made an opponent look foolish.

The sort that makes sport great - and Diogo Jota was certainly this.

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