00:00Arne Schlott had challenged his grieving players to honour Diogo Jota's memory as they began the difficult process of returning to football.
00:10On Sunday at Deepdale, that process started.
00:14The Premier League champions opened pre-season with a 3-1 win over Championship side Preston Northend.
00:21But football was a secondary concern.
00:24The match marked the team's first appearance since Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain 10 days earlier.
00:34Just seven weeks earlier, Jota had made his final Liverpool appearance during their title-winning campaign.
00:41On Sunday, mourning continued in front of a near-packed-out capacity.
00:46At the 20th minute mark, Jota's shirt number, a tribute, began and lasted 10 minutes.
00:51Liverpool supporters, joined by Preston fans, sang in his honour, culminating in a standing ovation that swept across the entire ground.
01:00Captain Mohamed Salah looked visibly emotional, holding his head in his hands, a powerful image that captured the mood of the afternoon.
01:09A 15-minute pre-match tribute featured iconic electronic boards reading,
01:13Rest in Peace Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, you'll never walk alone.
01:17Irish singer Claudia Rose Maguire, wife of former Preston striker Sean Maguire, led the anthem.
01:25The loudest cheer came when Darwin Nunez scored and mimicked Jota's trademark gamer celebration.
01:31It was a touching gesture that embodies Schlott's message to the squad earlier that morning.
01:36Nothing seems important if we think that what has happened, Schlott told the club website.
01:43Maybe the best thing is to act how Jota was, always himself and with everyone.
01:49Schlott rotated his squad, fielding different 11s in each half.
01:53New signings Jorio Mamashili, Freddie Woodman, Milos Kerkhez and Jeremy Frimpong all made debuts.
02:00Liverpool's next game at Anfield against Atletico Bilbao on August 4th will likely be more emotional.
02:06But after a seven-minute mutual pause at full-time, Schlott could not have asked for more from such a difficult day.
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