The future teammates faced off in the tournament during lockdown in FUT 23 Coins  2020, where the Portuguese player overturned a one goal deficit to emerge victorious with the help of a Golden Goal. With Jota regularly going 20-0 in FUT Champions and competing in esports tournaments while he waits to take to the IRL pitch, you can hardly blame Liverpool Scouse right back for declining the rematch.

Jota feels some of his success on the virtual pitch comes from his knowledge on Anfield hallowed grass. ldquo;A lot of times when I play FIFA, I do things like I would on the pitch and a lot of the time that a surprise to my opponent. Because theyrsquo;re pros, they are willing to play the pro game, trying to do only the meta things. They know that if they cross, for example, that not as accurate and sometimes I do it and I score and they go, lsquo;oh my God, how can that happen?rsquo;

His use of off-meta tactics may be an advantage, but he takes much more from his Liverpool training than Alexander-Arnold-esque crosses, especially when it comes to his esports team.

We want to find the extra edge to get the advantage.

ldquo;I dont know if you ever saw someone like Trent with a helmet or something? he asks, referencing the neuro11 hairnets that Liverpool players sometimes wear during training. The system of electrodes attached to playersrsquo; heads offers a new approach to data-based training, one that Jota trialled with his esports team to get that crucial edge over the opposition.

ldquo;I tried that for the last few months in Portugal with a similar company that works on  FIFA 23 Coins buy focus and concentration levels, he explains. ldquo;Those specific things, especially in esports, are still nonexistent and we want to find the extra edge to get the advantage. In the end it my thing, I like to compete and I like to win and that also why we are here.