Virgil van Dijk lifts lid on 'surreal' impact Diogo Jota's death has had on Liverpool squad

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has spoken out on the "surreal" impact of Diogo Jota's death on the rest of the squad, just over a month since his passing shocked the footballing world.

The Reds are preparing to play their first home game since Jota died at the age of just 28 as they prepare for what promises to be an emotional friendly against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield on Monday night.

Jota was killed in a horrific car crash alongside his brother Andre after their Lamborghini suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking another car in Portugal. The car left the road and burst into flames.

There has been an outpouring of grief from figures across the game and almost the entire Liverpool squad flew out to Portugal to attend the player's funeral and show support to his family, including wife Rute Cardoso and their three young children.

Liverpool have made some big tributes towards Jota after retiring his No.20 shirt and making a "Forever 20" emblem to be worn by players on their shirts this season.

READ MORE: Alexander Isak arrives for awkward Newcastle talks amid Liverpool transfer drama

READ MORE: Alan Shearer makes feelings clear on Alexander Isak Liverpool transfer - 'Get him out'

And Van Dijk has spoken about the impact Jota's death has had on the squad as they prepare to pay further tribute to their beloved former team-mate on Monday night, acknowledging a "surreal" time for the players in Liverpool's official programme for the game.

"It has, of course, been a very challenging time," he wrote. "First and foremost for Diogo and Andre’s family, for Rute and the kids. They are the people who must always come first in all of this. We must never forget that, and we cannot imagine their pain in this moment.

"It is still a bit surreal, to be honest, but we are coping in the best way possible as a team, and we are all trying to do the best job we can in order to get through this really difficult time.

"With everything that happened, it has been strange having to now try to carry on with work, with football. We will never forget Diogo, of course, but we just have to try to honour his memory. That’s what we try to do each and every day.

"I always come back to the fact that we have to look after Diogo’s family, his parents, and that’s the main thing. You think about so many different things, and it’s difficult to process. You can’t imagine the pain, the feeling that they have. That’s why we try to be there as much as we can, and for each other as well.

"That’s also why it is very important that we honour and carry on his legacy, not only for now and the next couple of months, but for as long as we can, because that is what he deserves."

Liverpool have already made an effort to honour Jota in their first pre-season game back since his death at a 3-1 win at Preston, with a minute's silence being observed at Deepdale and pre-match tributes on the big screen.

"The Preston game was very emotional, of course," Van Dijk added. "We expected that, and I expect that our first games at Anfield will be emotional too. But we are all in this together, we all have to go through this together, and we will. We will honour Diogo today, and in the future also. He will always be with us.

"It will obviously still be tough, but we have to be there for each other and for Diogo’s family. I encourage everyone connected to Liverpool to continue to do exactly that. So today, let’s honour him, let’s enjoy the games and let’s do it together. It’s good to see you all again."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.