Milner to honour former teammate Jota with jersey number switch

The 39-year-old spent three seasons at Liverpool alongside the Portuguese forward

Former Liverpool player James Milner hugs a mourner, at the funeral ceremony of Liverpool's Portuguese soccer player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who died in a car crash near Zamora, Spain, at the Chapel of the Resurrection, in Gondomar, Portugal, Jul 5, 2025. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes

Brighton & Hove Albion's James Milner will don the number 20 shirt this season as a tribute to former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in Spain last month.

Jota and his brother Andre Silva were killed in early July when their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames in northwestern Spain.

The Portuguese forward had worn the number 20 during his time at Liverpool, where he and Milner played together for three seasons before the veteran midfielder's move to Brighton in 2023.

"Once I heard Carlos (Baleba) was looking to change his number and 20 was available, I wanted to do it as a mark of respect and obviously pay tribute to Diogo Jota," Milner said.

"(He was) an amazing player I was fortunate to play with and a great friend as well. So it'd be a great honour to wear his number in the Premier League."

Liverpool are permanently retiring the number 20 after consultation with the player's wife Rute and family. The squad number will not be used at any level, including the women's team and academy.

The 39-year-old Milner recently agreed a one-year contract extension with Brighton and is chasing Premier League history of his own.

With 638 Premier League appearances already to his name, he sits within striking distance of Gareth Barry's all-time record of 653 games.