Former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who first brought Diogo Jota in on loan before signing him permanently, told BBC Sport:
He arrived at Wolves as a young player, but a remarkable one—warm, humble, and eager to repay the belief shown in him. Like many newcomers, he needed time to adapt. The Championship is a brutal league, especially for someone coming from abroad, but that testing environment helped forge the player he became. He never stopped pushing, and even when things were tough, he never lost heart. It may sound like a cliché, but it’s true: everyone adored Diogo—people across the club and in the dressing room. Even now, thinking about him brings a deep sadness. He was an exceptional young man, and we miss him tremendously.
Former Wolves captain Conor Coady, who lifted the 2018 Championship title with Jota, told BBC Sport:
My memories of Diogo are all positive. What stands out isn’t just the goals and wins, but the person he was in the dressing room—a brilliant friend, honest, humble, and unforgettable. He was a dream team-mate: selfless every day and, on top of that, an outstanding footballer. From the moment he walked through the door at Wolves, his competitive edge was obvious. He wanted to win everything, even head tennis. When the Portuguese lads arrived, he helped shape a new culture at the club—Diogo led that change. He was a different breed, a machine.
I admired him—and Ruben Neves—for taking that leap so young. Leaving a giant like Porto, as Ruben did, to play in the Championship is huge. Their arrival at Wolves changed my life for the better; they improved me as a player and as a person, and everyone in that dressing room would say the same.
At first, I wondered if he grasped how tough the Championship would be—people sometimes dismiss it as just the second tier. But Diogo proved otherwise. He was professional, dedicated, intelligent, and all business from day one, and we earned promotion at the first attempt. Players moving countries can keep to themselves, but Diogo and the Portuguese boys were the opposite—they mixed with everyone, set up things off the pitch, and included the whole squad. He threw himself into everything.
When I picture Diogo, I think of his FA Cup quarter-final goal against Manchester United. We broke on the counter, he burst from halfway, brushed off Luke Shaw, shifted onto his left—despite being mainly right-footed—and drilled it inside the near post. That was a Diogo Jota goal—few could score it, but he could. I loved that tenacity.
I was thrilled for him when he joined Liverpool. It felt odd when he missed our game—that got everyone talking, because Diogo never sat out—but then Ruben told us what was happening. Of course you’re gutted to lose a team-mate, but it was a fantastic chance at a club like Liverpool. We couldn’t have been happier for him. When he visited the training ground, we took a big group photo. If you had to pick a club for Diogo, you’d choose Liverpool—just ahead of Wolves. He gave absolutely everything to both clubs.
Sharing a dressing room with Diogo was an absolute privilege.