Steve Rotheram has paid tribute to "family man" Diogo Jota, who has died in a car accident aged 28 in the Spanish province of Zamora. The mayor of Liverpool City Region shared his "devastation" at the news adding, "it's a loss to football and it's a loss to Liverpool Football Club, but it's an unbelievable loss to his family". Jota's brother Andre Silva also died in the accident. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
00:00Initially, I thought it might have been fake and that's the world that we live in, but when it was confirmed, absolute devastation because he's one of the fans favourites, as people will know. He had a very special song about him and that was even sung when he wasn't on the pitch. So it shows you that emotional connection between Diogo Jota and Liverpool fans was really, really strong.
00:22As you said, the work rate was incredible. He'd chase everything. He was like a dog with a bone and they loved that. I know loads of Evertonians who've contacted me saying that they're devastated because I think he's the one player that they would love to have had on their side.
00:38Football loves characters, doesn't it? And he was a real character and not only talented, but, as you say, a real grounded individual and somebody who's a family person.
00:49And the type of person that you think, no, if you met him, you probably could connect with him and you could become friends. He was that sort of gregarious character and nature.
00:58And so I think he'll be missed by the players here and massively missed by the fans. And everybody will have a special moment and something that they can look back on, a specific memory, and he will be involved in it.
01:13And that's what they'll be thinking about today. But, of course, the ones who'll be doing that most are his family. And you think about those three little kids, without a father and his parents, without two sons now.
01:23So it's a loss to football and it's a loss to Liverpool Football Club. It's an unbelievable loss to his family.
