Liverpool vs Athletic Club friendly stopped as Reds make Diogo Jota gesture

Liverpool's pre-season friendly against Athletic Bilbao was paused as the Reds honoured Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, who tragically lost their lives in a car accident in Spain at the beginning of July. The pair were en-route back to the UK for pre-season training.

Throughout pre-season, Liverpool have been paying tribute to the brothers, and this continued at Anfield on Monday evening.

Before the match started, Liverpool legend Phil Thompson and Bilbao president Jon Uriarte laid wreaths in front of the Kop, while fans sang Jota's popular chant.

As soon as the game kicked off, Anfield echoed with another rendition of Jota's song, as Liverpool continued to grieve and remember their late forward.

In the 20th minute of the match against Bilbao, play was stopped as both teams and coaching staff joined fans in a minute's applause to honour Jota and Silva.

The tribute took place in the 20th minute to reflect Jota's squad number during his five-year stint at Liverpool. At that point, Arne Slot's team were leading 2-0, thanks to early goals from Rio Ngumoha and Darwin Nunez.

Last month, Liverpool announced their decision to retire Jota's number across all levels of the club in memory of the Portuguese player.

Liverpool have recently revealed plans to erect a sculpture in honour of Jota outside Anfield, crafted from recycled tributes left for the Portuguese brothers outside the Reds' ground.

A unique fan mosaic and a minute's silence are also being organised for the opening Premier League match against AFC Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday, 15 August.

In addition, a specially designed 'Forever 20' emblem will be incorporated into the players' new Adidas kits and stadium jackets for the entirety of the forthcoming season.