Alongside a poignant message, Darwin Núñez selected a touching image to remember his late teammate.

After mimicking two celebrations which his late teammate Diogo Jota used to perform, Darwin Núñez insisted that Liverpool’s lost forward was there to “celebrate with me” in the club’s first game since his passing.

Liverpool travelled to Preston North End’s Deepdale home for an emotionally charged pre-season friendly on Sunday afternoon. Just 10 days on from the tragic realisation that Jota and his brother André Silva had been killed in a car accident, the Reds opted to go ahead with the pre-arranged fixture.

The game—which Liverpool inconsequentially won 3–1—was a touching collage of tributes for Jota. Preston’s players and fans both offered their respects to the former Portugal international while Liverpool’s party did their best to provide a personal homage.

After firing Liverpool into a 2–0 lead shortly after the second half began, Núñez slapped his forearms together, replicating the ‘baby shark’ celebration which Jota had previously produced. In the same move, the Uruguayan forward folded himself into a crossed-leg position and proceeded to jab away at an invisible controller.

Jota was a keen video game enthusiast, setting up his own esports team and winning a FIFA competition between Premier League players during the COVID lockdown. “I love football and I love competing,” he once explained. “With FIFA, I am able to do both.”

Other players have echoed this particular pose pulled by Jota, but Núñez had a more painfully personal touch. In an Instagram triptych the Uruguayan sandwiched images from Sunday’s friendly with a picture from April 2023 showing Jota perform the video game celebration with Núñez behind him. “I know that today you celebrated with me like that time,” the striker wrote.

‘That time’ was the conclusion of a bonkers 4–3 victory for Liverpool over Tottenham Hotspur two years ago. The Reds had given up a three-goal lead and seemed destined to collect a bitter point after Richarlison’s 93rd-minute equaliser. Yet, Jota popped up with a priceless winner to set Anfield alight.

“In my first season I scored a few winners as well late but there was no crowd,“ he reflected after the match. “Everybody was telling me, ‘You should see it if this was full!’, the feeling, and I could feel that tonight. It was something special that I will remember forever.”