Diogo Jota heart mural completed by local artist John Culshaw

Liverpool artist John Culshaw says he hopes a new mural dedicated to Diogo Jota ‘captures how we felt about him.’

The huge Diogo Jota artwork on the wall of the Halfway House pub shows the Reds number 20 making a heart sign with his hands.

John said:

“It shows Diogo Jota sending love out to the fans and by immortalising him in our city, it shows that we are sending the love right back.”

He spent five days completing the mural, liaising with the pub owners on a design to reflect the strength of feeling towards the player who lost his life in a car crash with his brother earlier this month.

John says it felt like an honour to be able to create something which could help fans remember and pay respects to someone they loved, on and off the pitch:

“We tried to make it a bit less about football and more about Jota and what he means to us, to the fans. That was the thought behind the heart design and why we decided to go with it – it’s about his emotional connection with the fans,” he explains. 

“Jota seemed to have the sort of character that Scousers like to get behind, he always had a smile on his face and obviously he was a fantastic striker. Anybody who gets their own song, usually that’s a sign that they’re well-loved which he was.”

John was already planning to paint a mural of past Liverpool managers on the Halfway House wall when news broke that 28-year-old Jota and his younger brother André Silva had been tragically killed in the Spanish crash

John said:

“When we heard about the accident, the pub owner messaged me to discuss doing something to remember Jota and I thought it would be a good idea and everybody would love it.

“I’m a Red so it was something I wanted to do but I wasn’t sure if I should, so as soon as I got asked, that gave me a reason to do it. As Liverpool fans we know how to deal with tragedy and show our appreciation to someone who has given us so much.”

John was able to complete the mural quickly thanks to support from his mates – and fellow Reds – at 4 Seasons Events. Their company specialises in Christmas decorations and loaned a cherry picker so he could reach the top of the wall and helped with whatever was needed to make the job easier.

As the Halfway House on Walton Road is just a few minutes from Anfield stadium and a big matchday pub, John hopes it will become something that local fans and visitors will see and connect with.

John said:

“The reaction has already been really good and really positive about the message I was trying to get across,” he adds.

“I think it’s just a nice way to remember Diogo and it captures what we thought about him.”

To keep up-to-date with what John’s doing, follow his Instagram page.

READ MORE: LFC Super-fan Isaac sings Virgil van Dijk anthem to celebrate new mural of his hero

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