Ian Rush has penned a beautifully heartbreaking message after the death of Diogo Jota, explaining he missed the Portuguese’s funeral due to the sad passing of his brother.
Rush, Liverpool’s all-time top goalscorer, remains a steady presence around the club and serves as an inspiration for the heights you can achieve at Anfield.
The 63-year-old was invited to the funeral of Jota and his brother but heartbreakingly revealed he could not attend due to the passing of his brother last month.
His overriding message penned on social media, however, was not about his loss but the character of the club, Jota and how he will “never be forgotten because he has embraced everything Liverpool.”
“Rest in peace, Diogo and Andre,” Rush penned on Instagram.
“At Liverpool we have always regarded ourselves as one big family. Now one of our family has gone, so we all have to join together and help one another. The last few days have shown that.
“I was invited and intended to attend Diogo’s funeral, but my brother Gerald had passed away last week, I was in the middle of helping with Gerald’s funeral when the news broke about Diogo. It’s been an incredibly difficult time, and I just wasn’t able to make it.
“He hadn’t been well for a while, but like with Diogo, it hasn’t really sunk in yet.
“Diogo’s wife, Rute, their three wonderful children, his parents, and extended family are enduring an unimaginable loss. This heartbreaking accident claimed both Diogo and his brother, André Silva. We grieve deeply for them both.
“Diogo was a great player, probably the best natural finisher at the club. He always gave 100 percent. He would make a difference whether he started or came on as a substitute. He would never dominate the headlines and that was the same off the pitch.
“He was a real down to earth person, a real gent. He just got on with things. He will be sadly missed for the special person he was as much as for what he did on a football field for Liverpool and Portugal.
“This is especially hard for the Liverpool players who will soon be back in pre-season training. They are just expected to get on with the job but they are just human beings at the end of the day who experience the same emotions as the rest of us.
“Some players will be affected more than others. I think right now it’s been hard for everyone to take in what has happened. You try to continue as normal. but that is impossible. It’s so weird, and for some there will be a delayed reaction because the enormity of what has happened hasn’t sunk in yet.
“I believe when someone dies you get on with things and it’s only a few weeks later that the full extent of the awful loss gets you. You know you have to get on with life but that’s hard. Diogo will never be forgotten because he has embraced everything Liverpool.
“Our lad from Portugal. Forever.”
