Physio speaks out about working with Diogo Jota in final hours before tragic death aged 28

A physiotherapist who'd been working with Diogo Jota in the hours before his death has spoken out.

Liverpool forward Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva, 26, were both killed in a road accident in the early hours of Thursday (3 July) morning in the Spanish province of Zamora.

It's understood that the 28-year-old was en route to Santander to catch a ferry back to the UK to begin pre-season training with Liverpool. Jota's Lamborghini Huracan had been overtaking another car when one of the tires blew out, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and crash, according to Spain's Guardia Civil.

The devastating accident comes just weeks after Jota tied the knot with his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he has three children, in Portugal.

Tributes have since begun to pour in for the footballer and his brother, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Arne Slot and Jürgen Klopp all paying their respects.

Jota's physiotherapist Miguel Goncalves has now spoken out about his final encounter with the footballer, revealing that he'd been helping the Liverpool star with recovery after he underwent surgery for pneumothorax – also known as a collapsed lung.

Speaking to Portuguese outlet Record, Goncalves recalled his final interaction with Jota, as well as explaining why he was travelling back to the UK via ferry rather than flying.

"I said goodbye to him and his brother, Andre, at around 8:30 p.m," he explained, adding that the pair had decided to travel through the night as it would be cooler.

"His brother was a great companion and decided to go with him, to accompany him on the trip, and that way they would also spend more time together." Goncalves continued. "He told me that the journey would take about eight hours, but that they would stop at a hotel in the Burgos area to rest.

"They were only supposed to arrive in Santander today, catch the boat and then go to England."

He added that Jota's wife and children were planning to fly over to the UK to join them at a later date, with a medical appointment scheduled for the footballer ahead of Liverpool's preseason.

Goncalves also rubbished claims the pair had been partying prior to the crash. He said: "Diogo was very aware of his professionalism.

"I’ve read some things on the internet that are regrettable, and I’ve even heard some in the media. To be clear, Diogo and Andre weren’t partying at all, they weren’t in the so-called 'good mood' life, they had nothing that deserved any repair. Nothing."

According to the physiotherapist, 'the base of his right lung had collapsed a little, but with the post-surgery physiotherapy he was practically flawless', as he said: "When I left him yesterday he was no longer in pain and was going to return to Liverpool."

Goncalves added: "He was excited, confident in his recovery and enthusiastic about the next season."

CNN Portugal's sports editor Rui Loura had previously confirmed that Jota was travelling via ferry as he'd been advised that it wasn't medically safe to fly following surgery.