Andy Robertson receives World Cup tribute from Diogo Jota’s widow
Scotland captain Andy Robertson has received an emotional letter from the widow of his former Liverpool team-mate Diogo Jota ahead of the World Cup.
The left-back, who recently departed Anfield for Tottenham, formed a close bond with the late Portuguese forward during their time together on Merseyside.
Jota tragically passed away last summer, just 11 days after the Scottish defender attended his wedding to Rute Cardoso.
As Steve Clarke’s side prepare to open their World Cup campaign against Haiti, Cardoso reached out through Fifa’s ‘Letters That Unite’ series.
Carrying a shared dream
The poignant note highlighted the profound friendship between the two players and their shared ambition of competing at international football’s premier tournament.
Jota would have been expected to represent Portugal at the event, a dream his widow believes his former Anfield colleague is now carrying for both of them.
“Andy, I’m writing to you with a heart full of longing gratitude and above all pride,” Cardoso wrote.
“By achieving that moment, you won’t be going alone; you’ll be taking his dream with you too.”
She added that her late husband would be incredibly proud of the new Spurs recruit for turning the pain of loss into strength.
‘That letter will stay with me’
The Scotland skipper was visibly moved to tears on the Hampden Park pitch when his nation secured qualification against Denmark in November.
Responding to the tribute, Robertson admitted that the previous World Cup tournament was the catalyst that brought him and his departed friend so close.
“It’s amazing of Rute to take the time, for what she’s going through, to write me a letter,” he said.
“Thankfully, I got to know her and the amazing times they had, and I saw how heartbroken we all were when Jots left us.”
He concluded by promising that her beautiful words would stay with him for a very long time as he leads his team out on the global stage.