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'Singing Diogo Jota tribute was very emotional'

Emma Stanley
BBC News, Lancashire
Alamy Claudia Rose singing before the match. She is wearing a cream halter neck waistcoat and has dark hair with a central parting tied back in a bun and chunky gold earrings. The crowd is blurred in the backgroundAlamy
Claudia Rose Maguire sang the emotional tribute just before kick-off

The singer who performed the Liverpool anthem as a tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva ahead of the Reds' pre-season friendly at Preston has said it was a "very emotional" and "special" moment.

Portugal and Liverpool forward Jota and Silva, also a professional footballer, died in a car crash on 3 July in the Spanish province of Zamora.

Claudia Rose Maguire sang You'll Never Walk Alone before kick-off at the match, which is Liverpool's first since the two men were killed.

She said she "didn't want to look at the fans" as she was performing because she "would have just burst into tears".

"Hearing them sing along is something that I will remember for ever," she said.

Maguire, whose husband is former North End player Sean Maguire, also sang Preston's club anthem, Can't Help Falling In Love With You.

Reuters A Liverpool fan holds up a black and white image of footballers Diogo Jota and Andre Silva in a crowd of other supporters, many of whom are wearing red Liverpool football shirts. In the background, another fan holds up a red and white scarf bearing the name of Diogo JotaReuters
Fans held up tributes to Jota and his brother and chanted the forward's name
PA Media Preston North End's Ben Whiteman presents a floral wreath on the pitch in memory of Liverpool player Diogo Jota ahead of the pre-season friendlyPA Media
Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath in front of the travelling Liverpool supporters
Reuters Eleven Liverpool players, ten in the club's red kit and the goalkeeper wearing a green outfit, stand with their arms linked around their shoulders and their heads bowed as they observe a minute's silence on the pitch at Deepdale for their teammate Diogo JotaReuters
Liverpool's players stood together as a minute's silence was observed at the ground

Being asked to perform both songs "was probably the scariest phone call I've ever had", Maguire told BBC Radio Lancashire, as she had only prepared to sing PNE's anthem.

"Then you get told you'll be singing the biggest song ever, You'll Never Walk Alone," she said.

"The whole weekend in my mum and dad's house I just sang that and the neighbours must have just been pulling their ears out asking 'why is she singing this song over and over again?'.

"I just wanted to do it justice and have it perfectly sung."

An emotional rendition of Liverpool anthem You'll Never Walk Alone was sung at Deepdale before the Reds' pre-season friendly against Preston North End

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As Maguire sang a visibly emotional Preston captain Ben Whiteman laid a wreath in front of the travelling Liverpool supporters.

The away end, filled with flags and scarves commemorating the former Porto and Wolves attacker, loudly sang Jota's song as the players walked out before a minute's silence.

Once she had finished performing and looked around at the crowd and players, Maguire said she felt like she "was going to fall to the floor because of all the nerves and the relief".

But "all the messages and comments I've got from fans has just been so overwhelming and I'm just so grateful for them," she added.

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