Virgil van Dijk has expressed the wish of the Liverpool team to honor the memory of Diogo Jota when they return to Anfield tonight.
The Reds host Athletic Club in a few back-to-back-friendly competitions for what their first outing will be at home, because Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a traffic accident last month.
In his MatchDay program column, Van Dijk discusses the emotional reaction of the players to the tragedy and how they intend to “continue his legacy.”
“First of all, I would like to welcome you all. It is a while ago, but it is always a privilege to play a game at Anfield, and one that we never naturally consider,” says the captain.
“It has of course been a very challenging time. First and foremost for the family of Diogo and Andre, for Rute and the children. They are the people who always have to come in the first place. We should never forget that, and we cannot imagine their pain at the moment.
“It is still a bit surreal, to be honest, but as a team we go in the best possible way, and we all try to do the best work we can do to endure this difficult time.
“With everything that happened, it was strange that now it should try to continue work, with football. We will of course never forget Diogo, but we just have to try to honor his memory. That's what we try to do every day.
“The club is very supportive in this, and that has been very important for all of us. You will all have seen the tribute and the plans that are now present. I have spoken with many people in the club, and I think the way everything has been handled so far has been the best way.
“I always come back to the fact that we have to take care of Diogo's family, his parents, and that is the most important thing. You think of so many different things, and it's hard to process. You can't imagine the pain, the feeling they have. That's why we try to be there as much as possible and also for each other.
“That is also the reason why it is very important that we honor and continue his legacy, not only for now and in the coming months, but as long as we can, because that is what he deserves.
“Of course we know that we will be reminded of him on games and on different grounds we are going. We have already seen that in the previous season-that it is still so fresh.
“The Preston game was of course very emotional. We expected that, and I expect that our first games at Anfield will also be emotional.
“But we are all in this together, we have to go through all this together, and we will do that. We will honor Diogo today and also in the future. He will always be with us.
“The support of the fans, and from the football world in general, has been incredible. That is a wonderful thing, you know? At the end of the day, life can be short and it can sometimes be incredibly difficult. We have to live it all, enjoy it so much and try to keep this world the best possible place. That's all we can do.
“Especially of the Liverpool community is the solidarity that has been shown so far incredible. It will clearly still be difficult, but we have to be there and for the family of Diogo. I encourage everyone who is connected to Liverpool to keep doing that.
“So let's honor him today, let's enjoy the games and let's do it together.
“It's good to see you all again.”