Diogo Jota funeral: Ruben Neves’ touching act after beautiful tribute to friend

Ruben Neves paid a beautiful tribute to his friend Diogo Jota after the Liverpool forward’s tragic death on Thursday and was among the mourners at the star’s funeral in Gondomar

Ruben Neves was one of the pallbearers at Diogo Jota’s funeral on Saturday(Image: PA)

Ruben Neves was amongst the many mourners in Gondomar on Saturday morning for the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, following their tragic deaths.

Jota, 28, and Andre, 26, were killed in a car accident on Thursday morning, sparking an outpouring of grief from Portugal, Jota’s team-mates and the wider football community. Tributes have flooded in for the Liverpool forward and his younger brother and Neves, who played with Jota for Wolves and the Portugal national team, penned a beautiful social media post to honour his friend.

He and Joao Cancelo – another of Jota’s Portugal team-mates – were among those in attendance for Saturday’s funeral, with Neves acting as one of the pallbearers. They flew from America after playing for Al-Hilal on Friday to attend the funeral.

The duo and broke down in tears when a minute’s silence was held in Jota’s memory before Al-Hilal’s quarter-final Club World Cup tie with Fluminense.

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Jota and Andre will be laid to rest at a private funeral service on Saturday in their hometown. Hundreds of members of the public have gathered outside the chapel to also pay their respects.

Neves played alongside Jota for years at Wolves; before that they had broken through together at FC Porto before heading to Molineux in the same summer.

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Amongst the many wonderful tributes that have been paid to Jota over the last two days, Neves’ has stood out.

In a beautiful message to his friends, he wrote: “Bro, wherever you are, I know you’ll read this, we’ve never been this sloppy and maybe now I regret it a little, but you know what you mean to me as much as I know what I mean to you.

Neves was overcome with emotion during a tribute to his friend at the Club World Cup on Friday(Image: Getty Images)

“More than a friendship, we’re family, and we won’t stop being that just because you’ve decided to sign a contract a little further away from us. When I go to the national team, you will continue to be by my side at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane… you will always be there with me, as usual.

“Let’s keep laughing, making plans, sharing our life with each other. I’m going to make sure you’re always present and I’ll make sure that your loved ones never lack anything while you’re there, far away but thinking of us, waiting for us.

Neves and Jota played together for Wolves and the Portugal national team(Image: Getty Images)

“Life has brought us together and now it can’t tear us apart. We’ve achieved some great things together, we still have a lot to go, I know we can. From today on, you will enter the field with me and we will follow our path together, on the stage where we met.

“Diogoal, you are my favourite lemonade!! Amo-te.”