The football world felt a heavy silence this week. News hit hard about the passing of Diogo Jota. He died tragically in a car crash last Thursday. On the day of his funeral, a deeply personal message appeared. It came from Daniel Podence. Podence now plays for Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia. He shared a long note on social media. It wasn’t just a simple goodbye. It was a journey back through shared moments with his former Wolverhampton teammate and friend.
Podence started his message with a picture of them. He said it showed their football rivalry perfectly. He meant the kind of rivalry between people like them, two teammates. They saw each other every day. They shared locker rooms, bus trips, and training camps. Podence even mentioned their “wherewolfs” games. Yet, they woke up each day wanting to outdo the other. One day it was footvolley, the next was finishing drills. Sometimes it was just a simple challenge for the ball. Podence joked he didn’t even want to tackle Jota because he was so tough. He remembered how much effort Jota put into everything.
A Legend in the Making
Podence went on to describe Jota’s impact at Wolves. “When I arrived at Wolves, you were the main man!” he wrote. Jota gave everything on the field. He scored goals like no one else. But he was also a great person off the field, even with a young face. Podence said Jota would always be a legend at Wolves. He made a huge mark wearing that shirt and for the fans. Jota’s humble nature and fighting spirit showed in every move he made.
Then Podence touched on something bigger than rivalry: respect. He looked back at that first picture again. “You leave, and I enter,” he noted, saying it felt ironic. Jota had moved out of his house in England, and Podence moved in. Jota even sold him the furniture. Podence still has it today. He recalled Jota saying one room was for his PlayStation. Podence, of course, turned it into an office. For three years, Podence heard someone named Dave say he missed Jota on the team. Dave even joked they were crazy for thinking Jota was injured, just because he went “crazy for Liverpool.”
Dreams Coming True
Podence also saw Jota’s big step onto the national stage. He was lucky enough to watch Jota’s Portugal debut up close. This was after Jota had already shined for the Under-21 team. Podence said it took time for Jota to reach the senior squad. But Jota always believed and never stopped working. Podence remembered a goal Jota scored in Luxembourg. It was typical Jota. But they both went for it, and Jota ended up with an assist. Podence joked about the “good kind of frustration” Jota felt about that.
