Former Liverpool goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher, who played with Jota from 2020 to 2025, told BBC Sport:
I think about Jots (Jota) often. He was a wonderful guy and definitely one of a kind. He was always himself and stayed true to himself. He didn’t care that he was a super famous footballer. He saw himself as a normal guy and stuck to his morals and that’s why he mixed with everyone and why everyone at the club got on with him.
The first time that I met him was actually at the old training ground in Melwood. Due to the pandemic, we were all split into different changing rooms into fives and he was part of our five. Our friendship started there and developed over time, especially off the pitch.
He was into a lot of sports, like myself. And into things that I wouldn’t expect a Portuguese footballer to be into like horse racing, darts and snooker – typical British and Irish stuff.
Me and Andy Robertson organised a trip to Cheltenham for the races because it aligned with our days off and to be honest, we didn’t even have him pinned to go initially but Jots got wind of it and came over and was like, ‘When are we going to Cheltenham?’. That’s the kind of guy he was and I’ll always remember that.
He had such an enthusiasm for whatever he did and he looked the part with his Peaky Blinders cap, a full three-piece suit and even a pocket watch. They’re all such fond memories to look back on.
Honestly, he was non-stop. He was big into watching darts and even started playing it, although he wasn’t any good. Some days, he’d be watching live gaming and I just admired how passionate he was.
He’d always get these strange injuries that we’d always say, ‘Only Jots could get these injuries’, because he’d throw himself into things that no-one else would. He had that competitive nature about him and would do anything to win and I guess, that’s what all the lads loved about him. You saw that in the way he played the game.
There’s so many memories. On tour with Liverpool, we’d get a suitcase with the club badge and your number on it, but it wasn’t massive so he couldn’t fit all his gaming essentials and he ended up taking a bigger suitcase.
That ended up being a fine and most of the squad had an hour argument with him because he didn’t agree with the fine. He had us all in tears when he kept saying ‘sweet case’ instead of suitcase.
Thinking back, I’m so happy to have had the chance to go to his wedding that took place a week before he passed away and meet all his closest friends and family. After you experience something like that, you get even closer. They’re cherished memories now and I’m very grateful to have known him.
