TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD led the Real Madrid stars paying tribute to the late Diogo Jota.
The England right-back returns to Anfield for the first time since his move to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night, and led a contingent of Los Blancos staff paying their respects at Anfield.
Jota, 28, was killed alongside younger brother Andre, 26, in a devastating car crash in July when their Lamborghini veered off the road following a tyre blowout.
Alexander-Arnold had left Liverpool just weeks beforehand, with Tuesday’s clash being his first return to Merseyside since the tragic incident.
Accompanied by a red and white bouquet of flowers, he left a heartbreaking message.
It said: “My mate Diogo. You are so missed but still so loved.
“Yours and Andre’s memory will always live on.
“I smile every time I think about you and will always remember the great times we shared.
“Miss you mate, every day. Love Trent and family. Forever 20. YNWA.”
A red PlayStation controller was also laid down, paying homage to Jota’s enormous passion for gaming.
A note on it said: “Forever a champion 20. TAA.”
Real boss Xabi Alonso – a former Liverpool player himself – paid his respects alongside Dean Huijsen and Los Blancos legend Emilio Butragueno.
Alexander-Arnold played 145 times alongside one another in a Liverpool shirt, guiding the Reds to the Premier League title last season as well as both the FA Cup and EFL Cup in the 2021/22 season.
Real Madrid paid a touching tribute to Jota in the days that followed his tragic death.
The entire squad gathered in a circle to hold a moment’s silence, before the Englishman took to Instagram to pay his own respects.
Alongside an array of pictures of the two of them, he wrote: “It’s so difficult to find the right words when your head and heart are struggling to accept that someone you care so much about has gone.
“Diogo, your family was your world. They were everything.
“For Rute, his children, and his parents, all of our hearts are broken. And for Andre as well. Brothers and best friends.
“When it’s less painful, I want to remember Diogo with a big smile. So many laughs and happy moments. He was such a great teammate and a true friend.
“Forever number 20. Rest in peace, Diogo.”
