David Horton - CameraSport via Getty Images

Henderson Pays Tribute to Diogo Jota in Touching Celebration

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Hartnett | Last updated Dec 14, 2025 2:51 PM ET

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson delivered a touching tribute to Diogo Jota after he scored his first goal for Brentford.

Henderson scored in the 70th minute to give Brentford a 1-0 lead. The 35-year-old midfielder pounced on a loose ball in the box and slotted the goal past Leeds United goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

Not long after, Henderson celebrated the goal by copying Jota's trademark video-game-controller celebration.

Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, tragically passed away in a July car accident in Spain.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin would equalize for Leeds in the 82nd minute. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Jota and Henderson spent three years together at Liverpool before the latter moved to Al-Ettifaq in 2023.

Henderson joined Brentford in July from Dutch club Ajax.

Henderson on Jota: 'We’ll Never Forget Him'

A file photo dated July 1, 2024 shows Diogo Jota of Portugal in action during the UEFA EURO 2024 round of 16 match between Portugal and Slovenia at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany.Getty Images - Hesham Elsherif/Anadolu

Henderson asked about his celebration following the match.

"It was his birthday recently," Henderson told Sky Sports. "We’ll never forget him. We will always remember him. I can only imagine what the lads at Liverpool are going through.

"He was a good friend. I don’t score many goals, so when I did, I always thought that I would dedicate it to him."

Jordan Henderson dedicates his first Brentford goal to Diogo Jota ❤️ https://t.co/AtZnejcNjO pic.twitter.com/3VwK0TYJdA
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 14, 2025

Diogo Jota scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions in his five seasons at the Merseyside club.

Henderson has made 16 appearances so far in his first season at Brentford. He captained Liverpool to the 2019-20 Premier League title and helped the Reds lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup, after defeating Tottenham in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final.

Brentford sit in 14th place in the Premier League table after collecting 20 points through 16 games. The Bees will next face Manchester City in the EFL Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: