Ireland legend Seamus Coleman praised for late night tribute to Diogo Jota at Anfield

Ireland and Everton legend Seamus Coleman has been praised after visiting Anfield late at night last Friday to pay tribute to Liverpool striker Diogo Jota who died in a crash in Spain last Thursday. 

The father-of-three, who married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso just two weeks ago, died alongside his brother Andre Silva after a Lamborghini they were travelling in left the road and crashed in northern Spain last Thursday night.

A sea of flowers, football shirts, scarves, balloons and flags have been laid outside Liverpool's ground by fans since news of his death broke.

The funerals of both brothers took place in Portugal on Saturday morning; Jota's wife and family were joined by Liverpool players for the funeral; Reds head coach Arne Slot and captain Virgil van Dijk were also in attendance.

And as supporters continue to pay their respects back on Merseyside, Everton captain Coleman, it seems, looked to avoid the limelight with his late-night visit to the shrine of red that now decorates the outside of their city rivals’ home stadium. 

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Taking to social media, a Liverpool fan explained: “Quarter past 11on a Friday night and Seamus Coleman turned up to pay his respects. I said to him, ‘I’m a red and this means a lot that you’ve turned up at this hour’. 

He says to me, ‘Sorry for your loss, I just wanted to pay my respects on my own without any cameras or fuss’. 

“Touched me that has, one of the most genuine fellas I’ve met”.