Former Liverpool star James Milner returned to Anfield on Saturday as Brighton lost 2-0, but the Premier League veteran paid a touching tribute to Diogo Jota.
Former Liverpool star James Milner has hailed the “special moment” of stepping onto the pitch at Anfield wearing Diogo Jota’s old number. The veteran midfielder returned to Merseyside on Saturday as his current club Brighton lost 2-0, but Hugo Ekitike’s brace proved decisive for Arne Slott’s side.
And while Milner was frustrated to be on the losing side, he was more keen to pay tribute to his former teammate Jota. The Portuguese forward died in a devastating car accident earlier this year and Milner received the number 20 shirt at Brighton as a memorial.
After Saturday’s match, Milner wrote on Instagram: “Despite the disappointing result, I’m happy to be back on the pitch and to have had such a special moment wearing number 20 at Anfield. A huge thank you to the Anfield crowd, YNWA, for their wonderful welcome.”
He added, “Also, to all our traveling fans, we ask for your continued support. Please be with us during this time.”
Milner confirmed his decision to wear number 20 earlier this season, having previously worn number 7 at Liverpool and number 6 in the past two seasons with the Seagulls.
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Regarding his new jersey number, Milner said: “When I heard that Carlos[Baleba]was considering changing his number and that number 20 was available, I wanted to do it as a sign of respect and obviously in honor of Diogo Jota.”
“He was a great player, someone I was lucky to play with and a great friend. I’m very honored to be able to wear his number in the Premier League this year.”
Milner, 39, enjoyed great success at Liverpool after joining on a free transfer from Manchester City. He made 332 appearances for the club, winning the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and numerous other trophies.
The midfielder left the club in 2023 as he joined Brighton when his contract expired. Upon returning to Anfield, Milner received a standing ovation from the home crowd.
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Another player who was well received was Mo Salah, who was brought on midway through the first half. Asked about the reaction, Liverpool manager Arne Slott said: “I don’t think he was the only one to walk around the pitch thanking the fans, because they deserve our thanks.”
“I think our players worked incredibly hard today to get a clean sheet. It’s the first time in weeks, maybe months, but there was a bit of luck involved. I think we did a lot of things well, but there was also a bit of luck.”
“We had some games where we conceded three goals and didn’t allow chances. Today we definitely conceded chances and didn’t take advantage of them. Mo is going to AFCON now and I hope he does well. In the meantime, we have to play here without him as we don’t have that many players available at the moment.”
“The good thing is we play on Saturday and then we play again on Saturday a week in between. That’s the situation.”
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