Andy Robertson unable to face Diogo Jota tribute as Liverpool star breaks down in tears

Andy Robertson was overcome with emotion during a moving seven-minute tribute to his good friend Diogo Jota after Liverpool's first match since the forward's tragic death.

The Reds faced Preston North End at Deepdale on Sunday afternoon in a hugely emotional occasion after the passing of Jota and his brother Andre Silva in a car crash on July 3.

Liverpool would eased to a 3-1 win through goals from Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, with Nunez and Gakpo both mimicking Jota's goal celebrations after they scored.

It began with a beautiful performance of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ by Claudia Rose Maguire, wife of former Preston player Sean, before kick-off.

READ MORE: Liverpool stars pay tribute to Diogo Jota in emotional scenes at first match since tragic death

READ MORE: How Liverpool's four debutants fared at Preston as Arne Slot gets glimpse of future

As Maguire sang Liverpool’s anthem, Preston captain Ben Whiteman walked the length of the pitch to lay a wreath in front of the visiting fans, with the Bill Shankly Kop dominated by banners and scarves bearing Jota’s name.

That name was then sung throughout the 90 minutes as Reds fans showed their love for Jota and their support to his family, and it was after the match that the most poignant tributes were paid as the entire Liverpool squad stood in front of the Reds supporters and applauded as they sang Jota's song.

Nunez looked especially emotional during this time, and was consoled but Reds captain Virgil van Dijk, before the whole them appeared to become too much for Robertson, who turned away from the rest of his team-mates and walked in the other direction.

On the day of Jota's tragic death it was Robertson's tribute which was seen by many as the most heartbreaking, with the Scot having formed a tigh bond with the Portuguese during his time with the club.

Robertson wrote: "The ones I’m thinking about most right now are the family. Their loss is too much to bear. I’m so sorry that they have lost two such precious souls – Diogo and Andre.

"For the team and the Club, we’ll try to cope with this together… however long that takes. For me, I want to talk about my mate. My buddy. The bloke I loved and will miss like crazy.

"I could talk about him as a player for hours, but none of that feels like it matters right now. It’s the man. The person. He was such a good guy. The best. So genuine. Just normal and real. Full of love for the people he cared about. Full of fun.

"He was the most British foreign player I’ve ever met. We used to joke he was really Irish… I’d try to claim him as Scottish, obviously. I even called him Diogo MacJota. We’d watch the darts together, enjoy the horse racing. Going to Cheltenham this season was a highlight - one of the best we had.

"The last time I saw him was the happiest day of his life – his wedding day. I want to remember his never-ceasing smile from that magical day. How much he was bursting with love for his wife and family.

"I can’t believe we’re saying goodbye. It’s too soon, and it hurts so much. But thank you for being in my life, mate – and for making it better. Love you, Diogo."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.