From the initial outpouring of love and emotion to a permanent tribute at Anfield, Diogo Jota’s legacy continues to live on as Liverpool, Wolves, Portugal and the football world and beyond remember the brilliant player and human being he was.

And now, through the LFC Foundation, Diogo will have another continued impact on the city and football; moreover, as LFC profits from Diogo Jota: Forever in Our Hearts will help fund a new programme in his memory.

The initiative, Forever 20, will aim to give more young people access to grassroots football and opportunities inspired by Diogo’s love of the game, ensuring his impact is felt by future generations.

This week, Dan caught up with LFC Foundation CEO Matt Parish at the launch of the latest social impact report to discuss how the proceeds from the book will support the programme…

“This is a programme we wish we weren’t running, and we wish we didn’t have that funding. But soon after Diogo’s death, fans started getting his name and number on the backs of their shirts, and that money has all come to the Foundation. The club has given us that money.

“Adidas have done the same thing. When the mural of Diogo was brought to the stadium, the artist Paul Curtis set up a GoFundMe page to fund it. He raised more than he needed and donated the remainder. So, there have been lots of different avenues.

“The book will be the latest addition to that. We’re going to use that pot of money to develop the Forever 20 programme, which will focus primarily on grassroots football across the Liverpool City Region, and potentially beyond. We want to look at whether we can provide opportunities for people who might not currently have access to football and give them the chance to get involved.

“We’re finalising the details now. We want it to have a number of different components, but we also want it to have longevity. Hopefully, it will become an ongoing project.

“Diogo was an Adidas athlete, and Adidas are obviously a club partner. They’re keen for the programme to have some longevity, too. I think football, his passion for life and the game, and even gaming — I know he was a big gamer — could all play a part. Perhaps there’s something there as well. Ultimately, we want to give kids the opportunity to do things he loved.

“That’s the basis of it: celebrating his legacy.

“And I think, while we already run a lot of free football camps, it would probably be easy to put on a programme of free camps. They offer huge value, but I think we want to do something with multiple layers to it.

“That might include football provision for young people with disabilities, giving them the opportunity to play more competitive football. We’re talking to Liverpool County FA about that.

“There may also be opportunities for us to support grassroots clubs by helping their coaches develop their skills, which would benefit the clubs and the players.

“So, there are lots of different components that we hope will come together to create an appropriate tribute to Diogo and his brother.”