Darwin Núñez paid a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota during Liverpool’s opening pre-season match against Preston North End, marking the emotional moment with two of his late teammate’s signature celebrations after scoring.
The Reds returned to action for the first time since the tragic passing of Jota and his brother André Silva, who died in a car accident in Portugal earlier this month. Ahead of kick-off at Deepdale, both clubs and fans joined in paying tribute with a minute’s silence, wreath-laying by Preston’s captain, and a moving rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.
Nunez, who came on at half-time, scored Liverpool’s second goal by pouncing on a loose back pass, calmly rounding the goalkeeper, and slotting into an empty net. He then turned to the away end and marked the moment in touching fashion.
The Uruguayan first performed the famous “shark chop”, a celebration Jota used regularly after scoring, including during a game against Ipswich. Nunez followed it up by sitting cross-legged and pretending to play video games, recreating Jota’s iconic “gamer celebration” from a match against Tottenham in 2023.
Watch the Celebration Here
Fans inside the stadium responded with loud cheers and applause, recognising the heartfelt moment.
It was a fitting gesture from Nunez, honouring his teammate in a way that felt personal and true to Jota’s spirit on and off the pitch
