Virgil van Dijk admits Liverpool stars are still coming to terms with Diogo Jota death

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Virgil van Dijk reflects on the passing of team-mate Diogo Jota as Liverpool prepare to welcome Wolves to Anfield on SaturdayVirgil van Dijk says everyone's thoughts at Liverpool Football Club remain with the family of Diogo Jota ahead of what is expected to be an emotional Anfield afternoon when Wolves visit on Saturday.The Reds signed Jota from Wolves in September 2020 and this weekend marks the first time the clubs have met since the popular Portuguese died in a car accident in early July with his brother, Andre Silva.Jota's wife, Rute, will be present for the game and their two sons, Dinis and Duarte, will line up as part of the mascots on the day. Writing in his pre-match programme notes, captain Van Dijk dedicates a portion of his column to his former team-mate, who was buried in his hometown of Gondomar on Saturday July 5.READ MORE: Diogo Jota's sons to be Liverpool mascots vs Wolves as Arne Slot sends emotional message"Saturday marks our last fixture of 2025 and when I reflect back on the year there have been a wide range of emotions for everybody at the club," Van Dijk writes."There have been some incredible highs, of course.

The loss of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in July was something none of us could ever have prepared for, and something all of us are still coming to terms with."Our thoughts, as ever, remain with Diogo and Andre's family. They will never, ever be forgotten, and we will carry their memory always."Van Dijk adds: "In terms of football, this season has been mixed, to say the least.

We have seen a lot of changes in terms of the squad, with players leaving and new players arriving, and I think it’s fair to say that we have not yet shown our very best, in terms of consistency."We have had some good games and some memorable victories, still, but it has also been extremely challenging, with some really tough moments along the way. As captain, trust me when I say I feel those tough moments as much as anyone."Now though, the focus is solely on Saturday's game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, where we will be looking to build on some positive recent results, and end the year on a high in front of our supporters at Anfield."I know that a lot of people will be looking at this game, looking at our opponents' position in the league table and expecting us to win, but we know that this will be an extremely tough game against a team which will have a lot of motivation."Liverpool took the decision to retire Jota’s No.20 shirt after his death as a mark of respect for the forward, who played an important part in helping Slot's side win the Premier League title last season.