The is a time of career-defining milestones for many players. It is an opportunity to measure how far they have come and also to hear from people close to them. FIFA is bringing those moments to the forefront with its 'Letters That Unite' series.
The subject of this latest instalment is 's Irish-born defender Roberto 'Pico' Lopes. The son of an Irish mother and Cape Verdean father, enquiring about his availability to appear for the national team.
That was in 2018. Today the Shamrock Rovers defender is preparing to face on Monday. Prior to that momentous occasion he stopped to read a letter from Stephen Bradley, his coach at Shamrock Rovers and the man who encouraged him to take the leap into full-time football at a time he had a stable job in banking.
As Lopes explains he had “always wanted to be a full-time footballer” yet leaving that behind seemed “risky”. In his letter, Bradley touched on that leap of faith as he wrote: “It seems a long time ago now, and it is, when we first sat down to talk about you leaving a good, solid job in the bank and joining us at Rovers to try to deliver success on the pitch.
“I know it was a risk, but we both knew it was one worth going for and time has proven us right on that. Your development as a player is obvious. You’ve been one of the standouts in the League of Ireland for many years now. Your development as a leader, an ambassador for our club, a role model for our league is not lost on anyone. On and off the pitch, you are exceptional." Bradley ended by summing up an already special year for Lopes with success on the pitch and the birth of his son. “I’m wrapping up what a year it has been [with] baby Diego, a double, and a FIFA World Cup qualification. There are not many more who can list achievements like that. I tip my hat to you, Pico.”
And now comes the opportunity to top it all off in North America. “Absolutely incredible” is how Lopes himself sums up what has happened already. Yet incredible could be about to get better yet.
Watch the video above to see Lopes's reaction on reading the letter in full.
Sources: FIFA Official
