Everton striker Beto has opened up on the kind gesture the late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota paid him after he signed for the Blues in August 2023. Jota, who died in a car crash on July 3 alongside his brother Andre Silva, reached out to Beto shortly after his move from Udinese.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's Merseyside derby at Anfield, Beto recalled: 'When I signed for Everton, he was the first guy who texted me. He said: 'I'm happy for you. If you need anything on the city, I can help you, just give me a shout'.' Beto described Jota as 'a really, really nice person, humble'.
Beto, along with fellow Portuguese-born Everton player Youssef Chermiti and club ambassador Ian Snodin, laid a floral tribute outside Anfield following Jota's death. The wreath bore a message in both English and Portuguese. Beto said he felt a 'togetherness' between the clubs' fans during the tragedy, adding: 'It's more than football. It's life.'
Despite the gesture, Beto does not expect any special treatment from Liverpool supporters during the match. 'If they boo me or whistle, it's normal,' he said. 'They go there for football.'
