Wolves paid a moving tribute to former player Diogo Jota ahead of their clash with Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.

Fans at Molineux erected a huge banner in tribute to the late forward as his widow Rute Cardoso and family watched on from the stands.

Jota and his brother Andre Silva passed away in a car crash in Spain on July 3, leaving his Liverpool team-mates and the football community mourning.

And Wolves were determined to do him justice as they hosted their first Premier League game since the tragedy, observing a minute’s silence and featuring Jota on the front of the match programme.

Jota spent three seasons with the club between 2017 and 2020, helping them win promotion to the Premier League and qualify for Europe, and supporters showed their love with an enormous tifo.

A banner below the tifo read: ‘We’ll remember you when you walk in fields of gold’, in reference to Jota’s favourite song, Fields of Gold by Sting.

Diogo Jota's widow, Rute Cardoso, cut an emotional figure as she stood with his family while Wolves paid their tribute to her late husband
+12
View gallery

Diogo Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso, cut an emotional figure as she stood with his family while Wolves paid their tribute to her late husband


+12
View gallery

Isabel Silva and Joaquim Silva, the parents of Jota, were visibly emotional on Saturday

Wolves paid an emotional tribute to former player Jota with a special tifo at Molineux
+12
View gallery

Wolves paid an emotional tribute to former player Jota with a special tifo at Molineux

Cardoso, who Jota married 11 days before his tragic death, was visibly emotional in the stands as she took in proceedings alongside his parents and his former Portugal team-mate Ruben Neves.

Goalkeeper Jose Sa appeared to fight back tears as both sets of players lined up on the centre circle for a minute’s applause.

In the 18th minute, fans at Molineux applauded in tribute to the shirt number he wore during his time at the club.

Jota joined Wolves on loan from Atletico Madrid in 2017 and helped them win the Championship title before spending another two full seasons with them permanently.

All in all, he scored 44 goals in 131 games for Wolves as they got promoted, then finished seventh twice and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2019-20.

He became a modern hero for the Midlands side, breaking numerous records before his £41million move to Liverpool in 2020, where he went on to win the Premier League.

Jota scored back-to-back hat-tricks against Besiktas and Espanyol at Molineux in the Europa League, becoming the club’s first player to do that.

That three-goal salvo against Besiktas came in 11 minutes, the club’s quickest-ever European hat-trick.

Players fought back tears as they clapped in tribute to the former Liverpool star
+12
View gallery

Players fought back tears as they clapped in tribute to the former Liverpool star

Rute Cardoso had married Jota just 11 days before he and his brother died in a car crash
+12
View gallery

Rute Cardoso had married Jota just 11 days before he and his brother died in a car crash

Jota initially joined Wolves on loan in 2017 before signing permanently the following year
+12
View gallery

Jota initially joined Wolves on loan in 2017 before signing permanently the following year

Fans held up banners in dedication to the Portuguese, with one reading: 'Good as gold'
+12
View gallery

Fans held up banners in dedication to the Portuguese, with one reading: ‘Good as gold’

Wolves also dedicated the match programme to Jota, who scored 44 goals in 131 matches
+12
View gallery

Wolves also dedicated the match programme to Jota, who scored 44 goals in 131 matches

Cardoso watches on as a tribute is paid to her late husband before Wolves faced Man City
+12
View gallery

Cardoso watches on as a tribute is paid to her late husband before Wolves faced Man City

It was testament to his determination to play in England that Jota swapped Champions League football with Atletico for the Championship.

The Portuguese scored 18 goals in his first season with the club, being named their top scorer and establishing himself as a much-loved star.

Jota has been inducted into Wolves’ hall of fame, with some of the floral tributes to him due to be displayed at the Wolves Museum in a permanent tribute.

Across the Premier League this weekend, stadiums are holding a minute of silence and players are wearing black armbands to remember him.

On Friday night, Liverpool paid their own tribute to Jota with a special mosaic held up by fans at Anfield as they beat Bournemouth 4-2. They also dedicated their match programme to him.

Images of Jota and Silva were displayed on the stadium screens, while the ‘Forever 20’ emblem adorned the shirts of Liverpool players.

Mohamed Salah scored late on as Liverpool won 4-2, with the winger mimicking Jota’s ‘crocodile’ celebration.

Salah broke down in tears at full time on an emotional night at Anfield.

Their tifo paid a nod to his favourite song, Fields of Gold by Sting, with words reading: 'We'll remember you when you walk in fields of gold'
+12
View gallery

Their tifo paid a nod to his favourite song, Fields of Gold by Sting, with words reading: ‘We’ll remember you when you walk in fields of gold’

Fans visit a mural devoted to Jota on a road near Molineux ahead of their clash with Man City
+12
View gallery

Fans visit a mural devoted to Jota on a road near Molineux ahead of their clash with Man City

Jota's favourite song was 'Fields of Gold' by Sting and fans paid a nod to that
+12
View gallery

Jota’s favourite song was ‘Fields of Gold’ by Sting and fans paid a nod to that

Liverpool boss Arne Slot dedicated the victory to Jota as he said: ‘I think Mo felt how special that was. He probably felt the emotions. Diogo’s wife is here, his family is here, his children are here.

‘We also feel the emotions, the grief they still have. Those emotions probably led to Mo being emotional. I felt the same without being in tears.

‘After the fans sung so many times for him, it’s nice he gave them something in return. That’s what he did today. Unbelievable atmosphere in the last few minutes.’