James Milner will wear the No.20 shirt for Brighton this season in memory of the late Diogo Jota, describing his former Liverpool teammate as a “great friend”.
The Portuguese striker tragically died in a car crash aged 28 last month along with his brother Andre Silva, just weeks after helping Liverpool win the Premier League title.
Liverpool have retired the No 20 shirt worn by Jota during five seasons at Anfield, three of which he spent alongside Milner before the experienced England midfielder signed for Brighton in the summer of 2023.
With Carlos Baleba opting to take the No. 17 shirt ahead of the 2025/26 season and vacate the No. 20, Milner, who previously wore No. 6 at Brighton, decided to pay a touching tribute to Jota.
“As soon as I heard that Carlos wanted to change his number and 20 was available, I felt the need to do it as a mark of respect and to honour the memory of Diogo Jote,” Milner told the club's channel X.
“He was a great player that I was lucky enough to play with and also a great friend.
“It will be a huge honour for me to wear his number in the Premier League this season.”
Milner, whose Brighton contract was extended for another season in June to allow him to celebrate his 40th birthday, was among Jota's former team-mates who attended his funeral in July.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
