Jordan Henderson Honors Diogo Jota After Scoring for Brentford
Brentford midfielder Jordan Henderson paid tribute to his former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota after scoring in a draw against Leeds on Sunday.
Henderson, who played alongside Jota in 77 matches, mourned the loss of the Portuguese forward, who tragically died in a car accident at the age of 28 in July, alongside his brother Andre Silva.
In a heartfelt gesture, Henderson replicated Jota's signature celebration at Gtech Community Stadium, where he sat down and pretended to play a video game. This marked Henderson's first Premier League goal since December 2021, a feat he last achieved during a commanding 4-1 derby victory over Everton, in which Jota also scored.
“It was his birthday recently,” Henderson, 35, told Sky Sports. “We will never forget him. We always remember him forever. I can only imagine what the lads at Liverpool are going through. He was a good friend, and as I said, I don’t score many goals, so I thought I would dedicate it to him.”
The former Liverpool captain was visibly emotional when he laid flowers in Jota's memory outside Anfield the day after his passing. On Instagram, Henderson expressed, “It was a pleasure to share a pitch with you, but more importantly, a friendship.”
Both players participated in the 2022 FA Cup final, where Liverpool triumphed over Chelsea in a penalty shootout at Wembley.
Henderson transitioned from Liverpool to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq in July 2023, before moving to Ajax in January 2024. He later agreed to an early termination of his contract with the Dutch club and returned to English football with Brentford.
At 35 years and 180 days old, Henderson became Brentford's oldest Premier League scorer when his low shot deflected off Leeds defender Jaka Bijol, giving his team an early lead, which was later equalized by Dominic Calvert-Lewin's header.
“Jordan’s experience and knowledge of the game are second to none,” Brentford manager Keith Andrews told Sky Sports. “He has been an impactful player for us. He has settled into life here really well and has played a big part. Long may it continue.”