Liverpool icon Ian Rush opened why he was unable to attend the funeral of Diogo Jota last week after the tragic death of the Liverpool star.
Jota, 28, was laid on Gondomar Cemetery on Saturday at Gondomar Cemetery in Portugal after he and his brother, Andre Silva, 25, were killed when their car crashed in the early hours of Thursday morning in North Spain.
The accident came only 11 days after Jota was married, the youth dear Rute Cardoso, also 28, who is the mother of his two sons Dinis, Vier and Duarte, two and his baby daughter Mafalda, who is only eight months old.
The devastating news left the football world in Shock and several stars were present at Jota on Saturday and the funeral of his brother.
This included the Liverpool team, Reds boss Arne Slot and many of Jota's Portuguese teammates, such as Ruben Neves, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva.
Ian Rush, Liverpool's leading goal scorer of all time and perhaps the biggest player of the club ever, was unable to participate and the Welshman has unveiled its own tragic reason for this.
“Rest in Vrede, Diogo and Andre,” started Rush's Instagram Post, which was accompanied by a photo of Jota and his brother in Porto -Kits, together with flowers that pay for the Liverpool -Man.
'In Liverpool we have always regarded ourselves as one large family. Now one of our family has disappeared, so we all have to work together and help each other. The last few days have shown that.
'I was invited and was planning to attend Diogo's funeral, but my brother Gerald had died last week, I was busy helping Gerald's funeral when the news about Diogo broke. It was an incredibly difficult time and I just couldn't make it.
“He hadn't been good for a while, but just like with Diogo it hasn't really sunk.
'Diogo's wife, RUTE, their three great children, his parents and extensive family endure an unimaginable loss. This heartbreaking accident claimed both Diogo and his brother, André Silva. We are sad for both of them. '
Rush, who is a Liverpool ambassador and is regularly seen in competitions and club involvement, then went a moving tribute to Jota.
“Diogo was a great player,” he went on. 'Probably the best natural finisher at the club. He always gave 100 percent. He would make a difference whether he started or came up as a replacement. He would never dominate the headlines and that was the same off the field.
“He was a real sober person, a real Lord. He just continued with things. He will unfortunately be missed for the special person, he was just as good as he did on a football field for Liverpool and Portugal. '
Rush also touched the grief that the Liverpool team would experience and the challenges with which they will be confronted when returning to the training for the season and preparing the new campaign.
He then concluded his sincere post by saying: 'Diogo will never be forgotten because he has embraced everything Liverpool has embraced.
“Our boy from Portugal. Forever.'
In the meantime, after Rush unveiled the news about the death of his brother in explaining his absence, several fans and former Liverpool players quickly were their good wishes to the 63-year-old, while also preaching Welshman's Jota instruction.
This included Robbie Fowler, who said: “Sorry that I heard that news from your brother Tosh … you and the family send a lot of love,” while Robbie Keane added a broken heart and prayer emoji.
A supporter then said: 'Nice words Ian. My thoughts are with you and your family on your brother's. Ynwa, “Like another added:” A moving tribute. Sorry for your loss. '
A third fan then said: “Beautiful words Rushy and that's how I regret your brother's own loss.”