Liverpool make decision on Diogo Jota and Andre Silva tributes ahead of Preston friendly

Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan has disclosed that plans are underway to pay a fitting tribute to the memories of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva after their untimely passing.

The Anfield outfit were plunged into mourning following news that Liverpool ace Jota, 28, along with his sibling, aged 25, lost their lives in a car accident in northern Spain on Thursday, July 3. They were en route to Santander to take a ferry home to England when tragedy struck; just as Jota was set to head back to Merseyside for the start of pre-season training.

Expressions of condolence have flowed from the global football community. Prominent figures including teammate Virgil van Dijk, manager Arne Slot, various club staff, officials, and former comrades from Portugal's national squad, attended his burial service in Gondomar, Portugal, last Saturday.

Liverpool supporters, in a heartfelt show of solidarity, have been placing tributes such as flowers, kit and scarves by Anfield's Main Stand.

Hogan, accompanied by senior executives from the team, stopped by the impromptu shrine on Wednesday afternoon to honour Jota, hailed as an "incredible footballer and really good person", reports the Mirror.

Addressing LFC TV, Hogan stated: "First, I would just say that obviously we're here today – and so many people have been here before – to just offer condolences and thoughts and prayers for Diogo and for Andre, and most importantly for their family.

"It has only been a couple of days but, as we all know, it has been just absolutely devastating. We're a club in mourning. We have all been completely shocked by the situation and, again, can only think of what this has meant to their family.

"What we see behind us and the overwhelming outpouring of support and emotion and grief and love – having a chance to walk down the row here and read the cards and read the messages, our anthem, You'll Never Walk Alone, it does mean something.

"In this case, I think everybody just feels so passionately about making sure that we remember the two boys but also that we support their family, and we're going to work through this together."

Postponing last week's return to pre-season training, manager Arne Slot and his team commenced preparations at Kirkby on Tuesday. Liverpool is gearing up for their upcoming game against Preston North End at Deepdale on Sunday, marking their first venture onto the pitch since the loss of Jota.

It has been confirmed by Hogan that tributes will be paid to Jota prior to Sunday's match, with plans for more enduring memorials to be discussed later.

"As a club, there's been lots of ideas and certainly within the supporter base lots of ideas," Hogan elaborated. "That's something we'll take forward with the family and we want to have those conversations at the appropriate time.

"Obviously they have gone through an unimaginable situation over the course of the last several days. We certainly will, obviously, remember both Andre and Diogo and at the appropriate time we'll make those plans clear.

"We've got the match on Sunday at Deepdale and we'll of course remember them at that match. Then the tour, then we come back to Anfield and then the season starts, so we're thinking about all of those moments.

"Of course, we want to make sure we do the right thing and appropriately remember both Andre and Diogo."