Virgil van Dijk has promised to always be available to the family of Diogo Jota after the tragic death of the attacker.
The leader of Liverpool released a moving statement stating that he was 'absolutely destroyed and in total disbelief' to lose his five -year teammate.
Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 26, died in the early hours of Thursday morning after the Lamborghini that she rode in a road in North Spain after a bond blew out.
The Portuguese star had traveled to Santander to take a ferry back to England prior to the preseason because he was advised not to fly after pulmonary surgery.
His death, who throwing clouds of sorrow over the football world, came only two weeks after he was married to his girlfriend and mother of their three children Rute Cardoso in Porto, his home town.
Van Dijk wrote on Instagram: 'Man, I can't believe it, I don't want to believe it. Absolutely destroyed and in total disbelief.
'What a person, what a player, but especially what an incredible family man.
'You meant so much to all of us and you will always do that! For your family to lose two sons, a husband and a father is simply unimaginable. So cruel and unfair.
'My heart breaks for all your beautiful family, for RUTE and for your children. I promise you in these difficult times and we will always be there for your family.
'A champion forever, number 20 forever. It was a privilege to have stood by your side on the field and your friend to have been off.
'We will miss you without words and never forget you. Your legacy will live on, we will be sure!
“Rest in Perfect Peace Diogo & Andre.”
Van Dijk was one of Jota's most common teammates during his career – they played 130 times for Liverpool.
She joined for the first time in 2020 after Jota signed at Wolves and continued with the highlights and lows of Elite Voetbal.
There were immense highlights: a Premier League Triumph, FA Cup Glory, two Carabao Cups lifted.
And the couple also had to pass the defeat in the 2022 Champions League final at Real Madrid – an experience that only strengthened their bond.
Just like Van Dijk, the football world was left in disbelief when the news broke out that Jota and his brother Andre had died.
The brothers drove to the east along an isolated stretch of highway, about an hour west of Zamora, when the accident occurred.
Their Lamborghini came from the road, then rolled and bursting in flames around 12.35, and also ignited the surrounding vegetation. The emergency services were called, but the brothers could not be saved. The police say they do not yet know who was driving.
The Spanish government official Ángel Blanco said the brothers and sisters died on the spot.
Liverpool will start training for the season on Monday, so Jota went back to the UK on a road trip with his brother.
Doctors reportedly advised the Liverpool star not to catch an airplane after a recent operation, so he received a boat instead. A Brittany Ferries service from Santander for Plymouth left on Thursday at 4 p.m. and arrived in Devon on Friday at 11.15 am.
The sports editor of CNN Portugal, Rui Loura, said live in the air today: 'The operation he had was pulmonary surgery and he was advised to fly afterwards.
'He was on his way to the North -Spanish port city of Santander to cross the ferry and to reach the UK in this way and continue by car as soon as he reached Great Britain. He was on his way to Liverpool with his brother. '
Another Portuguese journalist, Victor Pinto, said the CMTV channel of the country: “Diogo sometimes chose to travel on the road because he had some lung discomfort, nothing serious and as we know, there is a ferry connecting the south of England with Spain.”
Huldesten came in for a talented star that is generally remembered because of his humility, humor and care for his family.
One of the most moving came from Andy Robertson, who wrote: 'Those I think most about are the family. Their loss is too much to wear. I am sorry that they have lost two such precious souls – Diogo and Andre.
'For the team and the club we will try to tackle this together … no matter how long that takes. For me I want to talk about my partner. My friend. The guy I loved and will miss like crazy.
'I could talk about him for hours, but that doesn't feel like it is doing now. It's the man. The person. He was such a good guy. The best. So sincere. Simply normal and real.
'Full of love for the people he cared about. Full of fun. He was the most British foreign player I have ever met. We used to make jokes that he was really Irish … I would of course try to claim him as Scottish. I even called him Diogo Macjota.
We would look at the arrows together, enjoy the horse races. 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 be never moving smile from that magical day. How much he burst with love for his wife and family.
“I can't believe we say goodbye. It is too early and it hurts so much. But thank you for being in my life, size – and that you make it better. I love you, Diogo. '