Liverpool played a match for the first time since last season on Sunday, although football was far from most people’s minds. The focus of the squad, staff and supporters at Preston North End was on remembering Diogo Jota and his brother Andre, just as it had been all week at the Kirkby training base.

The Saints have joined the race for a "dominant" centre-back, who was once compared to Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.

Change is in the air at Liverpool, and nothing perhaps demonstrates that better than Jarell Quansah’s departure. This time last year, it would have been simply unthinkable that the young defender would be leaving the club in the near future.

In an emotional post shared on Instagram, the captain honored Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash early Thursday in Spain.

The Palace man is technically sound and creative besides. Moreover, he would emulate Van Dijk in arriving from a divisional rival lower down the ladder, with the Netherlands captain joining Klopp's cause from Southampton way back in January 2018 for a £75m fee - a world record for a defender at the time.

Liverpool captain has left a heartfelt tribute to team-mate Diogo Jota, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 28.

Diogo Jota tragically died in a car crash on Thursday morning and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has shared an emotional tribute to his team-mate on social media

Diogo Jota, 28, and Andre Silva, 25, died in a car crash earlier this week and the funeral was scheduled for Saturday morning, with many Liverpool players in attendance