World Cup-bound Lopes aims to put another feather in his Cape in showpiece decider

IT'S some story.

- By MARK McCADDEN

A World Cup-bound player once upon a time sweating over being late for training, because people were still coming up to his counter at the EBS branch in the Blanchardstown Centre, lodging cash to cover their next mortgage payment.

But that's the Roberto Lopes story.

A part-time footballer with Bohemians, his life changed completely when, in November 2016, he made the move to Shamrock Rovers.

"I was a teller at the time. I was doing the mortgage exams as well," said the man who at the age of 27 was capped by his father's country, Cape Verde.

"I got qualified as a mortgage advisor, but mainly I was a cash teller, still taking in cash for mortgage payments, which was really busy.

"There were some busy days there. Yeah, people coming in at half five, lodging money, and then you're trying to get out to train at six o'clock or out to Dalymount for a match at six o'clock.

"So, yeah, there's some tough times, but I suppose to be where you are now is all worth it."

Lopes came into Irish football at a bad time for someone with professional ambitions, with money in short supply.

"It was a transitional period where a lot of the finances went out of the league," he recalled.