Trent Alexander-Arnold Reflects on Closure at Anfield After Diogo Jota's Death

Trent Alexander-Arnold says his first return to Anfield as a Real Madrid player gave him the closure he had been searching for after the death of former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota.

Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in a car crash in Spain in July 2025. Alexander-Arnold was thousands of miles away in the United States with Real Madrid at the Club World Cup when the news broke, trying to process the loss on his own while Liverpool grieved together back home.

"I think that's what was difficult… going through it on your own," he told the Sunday Mirror. "Everybody else who had known him for that amount of time were all grouped together.

"It was difficult, and then having to continue to play games and them being so far away was hard. But coming back to Anfield and being able to go to the stadium and put some flowers down really helped me get that closure."

The right-back and the Portugal forward shared five seasons together at Liverpool before Alexander-Arnold made his move to Real Madrid in 2025. Their bond ran deeper than just the dressing room.

Alexander-Arnold said the pair spoke "every day" and painted a picture of two elite competitors driving each other on, even in the quieter corners of the training ground.

"I was injured a couple of times when he was and we were doing our training to get back fit together, and we were both very competitive," he said. "We would always, you know, have different competitions between ourselves. Those are the kind of memories that I’ll hold close to me."

The memories are not just of a finisher in front of goal, but of a character.

"He was just a really good guy. Like he was very honest. That’s one of the best attributes that anybody can have. He was hardworking. He loved what he did, and was a massive family man."

Liverpool have ensured that Jota’s presence still lingers around Anfield on matchdays and beyond. On the eve of the first anniversary of the crash, the club unveiled a permanent memorial to Jota and his brother at the stadium.

The sculpture, titled Forever 20 in reference to Jota’s shirt number, was created by renowned artist Emma Rodgers. At its centre sits a flowing heart, a nod to the forward’s trademark goal celebration and a visual reminder of the emotion he stirred on the Kop.

"‘Forever 20’ will serve as a permanent symbol of love, unity and remembrance, and a place where everyone can reflect, remember and pay their respects," read a Liverpool statement.

For Alexander-Arnold, that place has already done its job once. And for those still filing through Anfield’s gates season after season, it will keep asking the same quiet question: how do you ever really say goodbye to a player like Diogo Jota?