London [UK], August 14 : As Liverpool gears up to defend their Premier League title in the 2025/26 season, former Liverpool player Stephen Warnock lauded the club for retiring the jersey number 20 of late striker Diogo Jota and also hailed seasoned star Mohamed Salah as "one of the best players" in the world.
Liverpool will be kickstarting their title defence at their home arena of Anfield against Bournemouth from August 16 onwards. However, the occasion of defending the title at home will be a bittersweet one for the players and fans alike as there would be no Jota walking down the pitch, having passed away in a car accident at the age of 28 in July.
At the time of his accident, Jota was with his brother in the car, as reported by Sky Sports. In September 2020, Jota was signed by Premier League club Liverpool. With the Reds, he won the Premier League 2024-25 title. He was also part of the Liverpool squad that lost to Real Madrid 1-0 in the 2021/22 Champions League final, where he came on as a substitute. For Liverpool, the player featured in 26 games last season and scored six goals.
Speaking on JioHotstar during 'Preview of the Season 2025-26', Warnock said that when one thinks of him, the "constant smile" he played is what they want to see from other players too.
"Someone who truly enjoyed every day on the pitch. He never took his football for granted, especially being at Liverpool. Jota understood the struggles he had overcome since childhood to reach the very top, and he genuinely appreciated the career he was given. That showed in every single game he played," he said.
"The 'Forever 20' will appear on Liverpool's shirts, with the club retiring the number as well. This leaves a legacy it was an incredible gesture from Liverpool Football Club, and the decision has been echoed globally as the right thing to do," he added.
Further speaking about Salah, who arrived at the Anfield back in 2017 and has since then won two Premier Leagues, a UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup among other honours, Warnock said that there will be questions about how he could go at the age of 33, always and if he still has the "hunger and desire".
"But you can already see that he absolutely does. That hunger and desire are what make him eliteone of the best players in world football. No matter how wealthy he is, how well he's paid, or how well he's looked after, it is about delivering week after week. I believe he will be back and scoring a hat-trick of goals again," he concluded.
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