Alexander-Arnold Pays Tribute to Diogo Jota, image: Sky News via X
(The Post News) The former Liverpool vice-captain honours his late teammate ahead of Real Madrid clash on November 4, 2025. Silence outside Anfield last night as Trent Alexander-Arnold, now donning the white of Real Madrid, returned to pay a deeply emotional tribute to his late friend and former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota.
Ahead of Madrid’s UEFA Champions League fixture against his boyhood club, Alexander-Arnold laid a bouquet of red and white flowers and a red PlayStation controller at the growing memorial near the Shankly Gates a poignant nod to Jota’s well-known love for gaming.
“My mate Diogo, you are so missed but still so loved. Yours and Andre’s memory will always live on. I smile every time I think about you and will always remember the great times we shared. Miss you, mate every day. Forever 20 YNWA. Love, Trent and family,” stated his message.
The message referred not only to Jota but also to his brother Andre Silva, who tragically lost his life alongside the Portuguese international in a car accident earlier this year. Liverpool later announced that Jota’s number 20 jersey would be permanently retired in his honour a decision supported by Alexander-Arnold and other former teammates.
Alexander-Arnold and Jota shared the Anfield dressing room for five seasons between 2020 and 2025, winning both the Premier League and the Carabao Cup together. The the right-back has struggled privately with the loss since moving to Madrid in the summer but felt compelled to return to Liverpool for this tribute before taking the field.
“He was more than a teammate, he was my brother in football, always smiling, always lifting others up. This was for him,” visibly emotional Trent told reporters outside the stadium.
During the pre-match warm-ups, Real Madrid players joined Liverpool’s squad for a minute of silence in Jota’s memory. The Anfield crowd responded with a standing ovation and a collective chant of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” that echoed through the ground.
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, himself a former Liverpool star, placed a white rose at the memorial and said, “the moment showed what football should truly be about respect, love, and humanity.”
Fans from both clubs took to social media to share tributes under the hashtag #Forever20, posting photos and memories of Jota’s goals, celebrations, and community work. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk wrote, “We lost a brother, but his energy still drives us every day. Thank you, Trent, for bringing him back home.”
As the Champions League anthem rang out, Alexander-Arnold looked up to the Kop, tapped the black armband on his sleeve, and whispered, “For you, Diogo.” In a sport often defined by rivalry and results, last night reminded the world that football’s truest victories are measured in humanity and memory.
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