Diogo Jota was previously diagnosed with a heart condition that threatened to jeopardise his football career. The Liverpool forward, who tragically died in a car accident alongside his brother Andre Silva on Thursday, won several major honours after signing for the Reds from Wolves in 2020.

Jota, 28, played an important role as Arne Slot's side clinched the Premier League title last season, featuring 26 times. He scored 65 goals in 182 games for Liverpool, where he also won the FA Cup and League Cup.

At international level, the forward won the Nations League with Portugal for a second time in June. However, there were fears that Jota would not have a professional football career after a heart issue was discovered during his medical ahead of joining Pacos de Ferreira in 2013.

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The then-17-year-old Jota missed pre-season, only being allowed to return after an electrophysical study cleared him. His parents had worried that Jota would be unable to continue his football career. However, Pacos de Ferreira’s youth team co-ordinator Gilberto Andrade recalled Jota refusing to cry and keeping level-headed while he waited for the verdict.

“We never made a big deal of it – these situations happen very often and are usually clarified right after,” Andrade recalled to the Telegraph in 2020. “He always remained calm.”

While his family may have been concerned about Jota’s prospects, the Liverpool star always believed a solution would be found. He was proven right and joined Atletico Madrid in 2016 before later moving to England with Wolves. However, Jota remembered how it felt when his career was on hold.

“That was a difficult moment. It had the sort of impact that made me ask, ‘Will I be able to continue playing?’” he admitted to FourFourTwo Magazine in 2021.

“But I always keep a positive mentality in those situations, trusting that everything was going to be all right. I knew it could mean quitting football, but I didn’t believe for a second that it was going to happen.

“In Portugal, we use the phrase, ‘You shouldn’t put the cart before the horse’ – don’t draw conclusions before you know the facts. The whole thing happened on my first day of work, when you undergo fitness tests.

"It was a bit of a scare because there was some alteration in my electrocardiogram. I had to be submitted for an electrophysiological study. Only after that was I given medical clearance to continue playing. I ended up missing part of pre-season and my senior debut was delayed.”

The Liverpool forward and his brother Andre tragically died in a car accident in Zamora, Spain on Thursday. A statement from the Guardia Civil said: "The information we have so far is that the car, which was a Lamborghini, was in a traffic accident and left the road due to a tyre blow out while overtaking."

Jota had married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso as recently as June 22. The couple have three children.

A Liverpool club statement read: “Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre.

“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support.”

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