Diogo Jota might just be my all-time favourite player for Wolves.
Despite my girlfriend being Portuguese, I know his full name – Diogo José Teixeira da Silva – better than I know hers.
He was integral to the most successful Wolves era I`ve witnessed. During his three seasons at Molineux, we won the Championship, secured two 7th-place Premier League finishes, reached the FA Cup semi-finals, and made it to the Europa League quarter-finals. For a club with limited top-flight history since 1984, this was a monumental achievement.
When Jota joined us in the second tier, seeing a smaller Portuguese player, there was a concern he might struggle, similar to others who possessed technical skill but perhaps lacked the physical or mental robustness needed for the Championship.
However, Jota`s sheer tenacity and resolve allowed him to adapt seamlessly, as if he`d always played there. Combined with his exceptional talent, this made him a truly captivating player to watch.
In the Premier League, while he occasionally lacked consistency, sometimes going stretches without scoring, when he was on form, he was absolutely brilliant.
Memorable moments include his hat-tricks against Leicester, Besiktas, and Espanyol, but many Wolves supporters will primarily recall his contributions during the 2019 FA Cup run. His goal in the quarter-final against Manchester United, where he famously outmuscled Luke Shaw, is already cemented in modern Wolves folklore. He was electric in the semi-final too; I believe if he hadn`t been substituted before Watford equalised, we might have won that tie.
Diogo Jota felt like one of us
Off the pitch, he appeared genuinely down-to-earth. He famously managed Telford (a town near Wolverhampton) to Champions League glory on Football Manager and won the Premier League players` FIFA tournament during the Covid lockdowns.
Crucially for me, Jota supported Everton as a child, just like I did. It felt almost as if Diogo J. was a version of me, had I possessed actual footballing talent. He played the same video games I do, and he gave his absolute all on the pitch for the club I adore. He just did it with considerably more skill.
The news yesterday hit hard. While he`ll undoubtedly be forever linked with Liverpool, he was a significant part of my life for three years, representing the absolute peak of my time supporting Wolves.
I estimate I saw 36 of his 44 goals for Wolves in person. My friends and I always discussed the possibility of him returning one day. The reality that this is no longer a possibility is something I`m finding difficult to accept.
