Diogo Jota: Angela Rayner visits Anfield after tragic death of Liverpool FC star

The 28-year-old was killed in a car accident in the early hours of Thursday morning (July 3) in Zamora, Spain. His brother André Silva, who played for Portuguese second-tier club FC Penafiel, was also killed in the crash.

The accident happened just two weeks after Jota married Rute Cardoso on June 22. The couple shared three children together and their youngest was born in November 2024.

Standing alongside Steve Rotheram next to tributes laid outside Anfield, the Deputy Prime Minister said: “I’m absolutely devastated for his wife, his children and his family. I can’t imagine what they are going through, my son is 28, it is really shocking.

“His life and career had only just started, he’s done an incredible job here at Liverpool Football Club and was one of their greatest strikers and just getting married, having his young children, looking forward to all the great things that he was going to do here and in his life.

“It is just so heartbreaking and devastating to the people who have woke up to the news. It’s hard. I came here for a local government conference and just to hear that sad news, and I’ve been over at Everton today and just seeing the outpouring across the whole of the city is, it is incredible.

“Our condolences and our thoughts today are primarily with Diogo ‘s family and his wife and his children.”

Speaking at the launch of Labour’s 10-year NHS plan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Let me start with Jota, because this is devastating news.

“I’m sure I speak for everyone in saying our first thoughts are going to be with his family and his friends in particular.

“But there are millions of Liverpool fans, but also football fans, and non-fans, who will also be shocked by this.

“I think Liverpool Football Club have just put a statement out as I understand it, but it is devastating, and it is really important we bear in mind just how difficult a period this will be for his friends and for his family.”

What car was Diogo Jota in when he died?

Jota was believed to have been in a Lamborghini on the Rias Bajas Highway.

What happened to Diogo Jota?

Spain's Guardia Civil said: "A road accident occurred at 12.30am this morning at kilometre 65 of the A-52 motorway, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A vehicle left the road and everything indicates a tyre burst while overtaking. As a result of the accident, the car caught fire and both people were killed.”