A permanent memorial honoring the lives of Diogo Jota and his younger brother André Silva has been unveiled at Anfield, ensuring the pair will always have a lasting place in Liverpool Football Club’s history. The artist behind the project, Emma Rodgers, has shared the inspiration and creative process behind the tribute, explaining how every detail was carefully designed to celebrate the brothers’ lives, their relationship, and the profound impact they had on supporters around the world.

The tragic deaths of Diogo and André last July sent shockwaves throughout football. Tributes poured in from teammates, clubs, supporters, and fans across the globe, all united in remembering two lives lost far too soon. For weeks following the devastating news, Anfield became a place of remembrance, with thousands of people visiting the stadium to pay their respects.

Outside Liverpool’s famous home, supporters created an emotional memorial by leaving flowers, scarves, football shirts, handwritten messages, artwork, banners, and countless other personal tributes. The area quickly became a powerful symbol of collective grief as well as a celebration of the brothers’ lives and the memories they left behind.

Now that temporary memorial has been transformed into a permanent landmark.

The new installation, titled “Forever 20,” stands on 97 Avenue—the same location where supporters gathered to remember Diogo and André in the days and weeks following their deaths. The monument has been created to ensure future generations of Liverpool fans will always have a place to honor both brothers.

Emma Rodgers, the sculptor commissioned to create the memorial, worked closely with Liverpool Football Club’s design team throughout the project. Together, they sought to create something far more meaningful than a traditional statue. Instead, the goal was to produce a work of art capable of expressing love, family, friendship, football, and the emotional connection between the brothers and everyone whose lives they touched.

Speaking about the concept behind the sculpture, Rodgers explained that she wanted the memorial to contain multiple layers of symbolism rather than representing only a single idea.

According to the artist, the monument first and foremost celebrates the lifelong bond between Diogo Jota and André Silva. Their relationship as brothers remained central throughout both their lives, making it essential that the artwork reflected that unbreakable connection.

However, Rodgers also wanted the sculpture to acknowledge the many other relationships that defined Diogo’s life.

She noted that Jota was regarded almost as a brother by his Liverpool teammates, becoming an integral part of the dressing room during his years at Anfield. Likewise, his fellow Portugal internationals viewed him as a close companion whose loss was deeply felt throughout the national team.

Beyond football, Rodgers believed the tribute should also represent the wider football community, which united in mourning one of the game’s brightest personalities.

Finally, she said the memorial recognizes Liverpool supporters across the world, many of whom formed an extraordinary emotional connection with Jota because of his commitment, passion, and dedication whenever he wore the famous red shirt.

At the center of the memorial stands a striking heart-shaped sculpture that immediately captures visitors’ attention.

The heart carries several meanings simultaneously.

Most obviously, it references Diogo Jota’s famous goal celebration, during which he would form a heart with his hands after finding the back of the net. Over the years, that celebration became closely associated with the Portuguese forward and remains one of his most recognizable trademarks.

Yet Rodgers incorporated additional symbolism into the sculpture’s shape.

Viewed from different angles, the flowing design subtly reveals the numbers 20 and 30—the shirt numbers worn by Diogo and André during their football careers.

The integration of those numbers was intended to reinforce the idea that, despite taking different paths within the game, the brothers remained forever connected.

Rodgers explained that intertwining the two numbers inside a continuous heart symbolized an everlasting bond between siblings.

According to the artist, the sculpture’s endless surface—without a visible beginning or end—represents eternity, unity, and the permanence of genuine human relationships.

She described the design as expressing an “eternal love,” reflecting a connection that continues beyond life itself.

Another important feature of the memorial is the inclusion of lyrics from Diogo Jota’s famous Liverpool chant.

Throughout last season, supporters sang the song during the 20th minute of every Liverpool match, transforming it into a powerful tribute that echoed around Anfield week after week.

Rodgers felt those lyrics had become inseparable from Jota’s memory.

Whenever supporters think about the striker, she believes the song immediately comes to mind, making it the perfect inscription for the memorial.

She explained that the chant captures Jota’s personality as much as his footballing ability.

For many fans, hearing those words instantly recalls memories of his goals, determination, infectious smile, and unwavering commitment to Liverpool.

As a result, including the lyrics ensures that his voice will continue to resonate symbolically throughout Anfield for generations.

Another unique element of the memorial is a bronze PlayStation controller incorporated into the design.

The controller reflects one of Jota’s best-known interests away from football.

The Liverpool forward was widely recognized as a passionate gamer who frequently participated in esports competitions and openly shared his love of video games with supporters.

Rodgers explained that the controller represents much more than a simple hobby.

To her, it serves as a metaphor for Jota himself—capturing his playful personality, friendships, competitive spirit, and the joy he brought both on and off the pitch.

By casting such an everyday object in bronze, something temporary becomes permanent, allowing a deeply personal aspect of Jota’s character to live on alongside his football achievements.

Creating the memorial required months of careful planning and craftsmanship.

Rodgers revealed that numerous small-scale models, known as maquettes, were produced before work began on the final sculpture.

Each version allowed the team to refine every detail until the overall composition perfectly reflected their original vision.

Once the preferred design had been selected, the project entered a more technical stage.

Using a traditional pantograph—a scaling device dating back to the era of Leonardo da Vinci—the small model was enlarged with extraordinary precision until it reached its final dimensions.

Rodgers then began shaping wax into the flowing infinity heart that forms the centerpiece of the sculpture.

The engraved lettering featuring Jota’s famous chant was carved directly into the wax before the casting process began.

Perhaps the most touching aspect of the entire memorial lies in its physical connection to the supporters themselves.

Rather than simply representing the tributes left outside Anfield, Rodgers actually incorporated them into the sculpture.

Scarves and flowers that fans placed at the original memorial following the brothers’ deaths were pressed into the wax during production, leaving their textures permanently embedded within the finished artwork.

These subtle impressions ensure that supporters are not merely observers of the memorial but active participants in its creation.

Rodgers described this element as one of the project’s most meaningful achievements.

She explained that using the actual objects left by grieving fans created a lasting connection between the sculpture and the remarkable outpouring of emotion witnessed outside Anfield.

Those flowers and scarves, originally intended as temporary gestures of remembrance, have now become permanent components of the memorial itself.

According to Rodgers, preserving those physical traces of supporters’ tributes was incredibly important because they represented the collective love shown toward Diogo and André.

Every texture pressed into the bronze tells part of the story of how Liverpool supporters responded to unimaginable loss with compassion, unity, and respect.

The finished memorial therefore represents far more than a statue.

It combines family, football, friendship, supporters, memories, and shared grief into a single piece of public art.

Every curve, inscription, texture, and symbol has been carefully chosen to tell part of Diogo Jota’s story while also honoring André Silva’s place beside his brother.

For Liverpool supporters visiting Anfield in years to come, “Forever 20” will provide a permanent place to reflect, remember, and celebrate two lives that left a lasting mark on so many people.

Rodgers believes the memorial’s message can ultimately be summarized by the chant that became synonymous with Jota during his Liverpool career.

She explained that those lyrics perfectly capture how supporters will always remember him.

Whenever fans hear the song, they immediately think of Diogo—his smile, his goals, his passion, and his connection with Liverpool Football Club.

For that reason, she felt there could be no more appropriate words to place at the heart of the memorial.

Through the combination of symbolic design, personal objects, and heartfelt craftsmanship, “Forever 20” ensures that Diogo Jota and André Silva will remain an enduring part of Anfield’s story. The memorial stands not only as a tribute to two brothers, but also as a lasting reminder that love, friendship, and memory can continue long after those we cherish are gone.