Jota followed Portuguese path to Wolves, before becoming Liverpool favourite

LONDON :Diogo Jota followed a well-trodden path for Portuguese players to English football, joining Wolverhampton Wanderers initially on loan from Atletico Madrid in 2017.

The likes of Joao Moutinho, Pedro Neto, Rui Patricio and Nelson Semedo all established themselves at the Midlands club, but none made a bigger impact than forward Jota, who died on Thursday in a car crash in Spain.

The Porto-born player, who began his professional career at Pacos de Ferreira in 2015 before joining Atletico Madrid a year later, made his move to Wolves permanent in January 2018 when the club paid 14 million euros ($16.51 million) for his signature.

He had already endeared himself to the club's fans by scoring 11 goals in their push for promotion to the Premier League under Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo and ended the season with 18 goals in all competitions.

Jota's goals, his work rate, his sharp mind and his ability to play in different forward positions, helped Wolves establish themselves in the Premier League and it was no real surprise that he caught the eye of Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp.

He signed for reigning Premier League champions Liverpool in September 2020 for 41 million pounds ($56.02 million) and slotted in immediately as another attacking option for Klopp who already boasted the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

Despite such competition for places, Jota thrived and scored seven goals in his first 10 appearances and a goal in each of his first four home Premier League games, a Liverpool record.

A leg injury interrupted his first campaign but the following season he played an important role as Liverpool won both the FA Cup and League Cup, Jota scoring a shoot-out penalty in each, and reached the