Diogo Jota‘s rise to the elite level of world football was a family affair and a story of perseverance, creating a “hunger” that never went away.Jota played for his local Portuguese club Gondomar between the ages of 9 and 17, with his small stature putting off some of the country’s biggest clubs during his youth.His parents, Joaquim and Isabel Silva, were factory workers and financially supported his dream – it was only when he signed for Pacos de Ferreira that he started to earn a small amount of money.He made his senior debut two months before his 18th birthday and his dedication to his craft earned him moves to Atletico Madrid, Porto (on loan), Wolves and Liverpool.His journey in football was not smooth but the struggle created a “hunger” that took him to the top of domestic and international football.In 2022, he told Sky Sports about his journey, saying: “It was not me paying, it was my parents. In Portugal, things are different to England.“I was playing for a small club and we had to pay monthly to be able to play. It was only when I was transferred to Pacos that I started to receive some money.“This hunger has been with me ever since I can remember. In my youth, growing up, I never played for the big teams.“I had a few teammates who went to Porto or Benfica. I had trials there but I never stayed. I was one of the better ones but never the best.“From the moment that I had that opportunity, I never dropped it again. I think when we are young we always believe.“But I probably did not believe that I could reach Liverpool. I just took it day by day.”Jota’s words epitomised the player we saw on the pitch – tireless and passionate – and the man we saw off it – humble and kind.And an interview with the BBC in 2021 on his playing career is now especially poignant.He said: “It’s hard, especially because I wasn’t paying, my parents were and I remember that was the hardest thing for me, because I could see their struggle to get the money to the club.“I think that caused me a debt that I will never pay back. Obviously I try to do that, and I just remember that was one of my things, to keep going and to never give up because I trusted myself.“In the end, each situation that you go through, it’s an experience that you need to learn from and when you are facing those kind of difficulties, I think that makes you a better person in the end.”