Andy Robertson pays beautiful Diogo Jota tribute as he mourns close mate he 'loved'

Liverpool star Andy Robertson expressed his grief with a beautifully written statement following the sudden loss of his 'genuine, normal and real' friend Diogo Jota. The football world was shocked upon learning that the Liverpool and Portugal forward, along with his brother Andre Silva, had died in a tragic car accident in Spain.

Tragedy struck less than two weeks after Jota's wedding, an occasion which marked the last time Scotland's captain Robertson saw him alive. Robertson shared a special bond with Jota, humorously claiming he could pass for Scottish due to their close rapport at Anfield, dubbing him 'Diogo MacJota'.

In a heartfelt Instagram tribute, he said: "The ones I'm thinking about most right now are the family. 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. 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. 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.

"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. Love you, Diogo."