Angela Rayner pays touching tribute to Diogo Jota at Anfield after Liverpool star's death

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, laid flowers outside Anfield after hearing about the shock death of Liverpool striker Diogo Jota. She was with Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram.

She said: “It is heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking, it just shows how life events can change really quickly. I’m absolutely devastated for his wife, his children and his family. I can’t imagine what they are going through, my son is 28, it is really shocking.

“Life and his career had only just started, he’s done an incredible job here at Liverpool Football Club and one of their greatest strikers and just getting married, having his young children, looking forward to all the great things that he was going to do here and in his life. It is just so heartbreaking and devastating to the people who have woke up to the news. It’s hard.

“I came here for a local government conference and just to hear that sad news, and I’ve been over at Everton today and just seeing the outpouring across the whole of the city is, it is incredible and our condolences and our thoughts today are primarily with Diogo ‘s family and his wife and his children.”

Jota, the 28-year-old Portugal international, tragically died overnight after a car crash in northern Spain - just days after getting married to his childhood sweetheart. His brother and fellow professional footballer Andre Silva, 26, also died in the accident. A tyre blowout on the Lamborghini they were travelling in caused the crash before a fire broke out.

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According to El País, the fire damage from the crash prevented tests from being carried out to confirm that the two victims were Jota and his brother. Jota's wife had to identify the pair.

A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Zamora said: "The investigation into the crash is being carried out by Civil Guard traffic officers. We believe the car suffered a blowout from the marks on the road.

"The full police report once it is completed will be submitted to a duty court in Zamora which has launched an ongoing judicial investigation into this crash.

“That report is going to take time to complete, probably about four or five days but possibly longer. At this moment in time it is impossible to say at exactly what speed the car was going but that is something the Civil Guard investigators will be able to detail at least approximately in their final report from things like the skid marks. What I can confirm is that no other vehicle was involved and no-one else was hurt."

Outside Anfield, a Manchester United fan, Joe Parsons, laid his club scarf at the growing memorial to Jota as he visited with wife Kelly, a Liverpool fan.

Joe, 40, said: “After I put the scarf down it was amazing how many Liverpool fans shook my hand. This isn’t about club rivalry, I had to show my respects. It’s a loss to the the whole city. I live in the city. I’ve seen tributes from Everton and Rangers too. It’s the football community coming together.

“My wife’s a Liverpool fan. I got a notification on my phone and turned the TV on. We were in shock. I feel so sorry for his wife and kids. It’s devastating for them.”

Wife Kelly, 40, said: “I had to come. Liverpool is my religion. The lad had just got married. My son is 22 and it makes you think this could happen at any time. He was just too young. I’ve never known a Liverpool player die so young. It’s no age, that’s what’s hurt me.”

Denise Cook, 50, travelled three-and-a-half miles on her mobility scooter to lay flowers. She said: “I’ve been coming to Anfield for 50 years. I just felt in my heart I had to come. Show some red to him and his young family. He was only just married and they are all so young. I feel for his family.”