'I have never looked past a LinkedIn message again': Shamrock Rovers defender Roberto Lopes reveals he nearly ignored a call-up to the Cape Verde national side after ex-coach Rui Aguas messaged him on the social media platform

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Shamrock Rovers star Roberto Lopes has revealed that he nearly snubbed a message on LinkedIn from former Cape Verde coach, Rui Aguas, to discuss the possibility of him playing for the national side.

The 31-year-old, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, helped Cape Verde claim a shock win against four-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Ghana on Sunday, with his side scoring in the second minute of injury time to seal a dramatic late victory.

The centre-back would play the full 90 minutes of the game, but things could have been much different, if he had chosen to ignore a message sent to him by former Cape Verde coach Rui Aguas on LinkedIn.

In an interview with Sky Sports, the Shamrock Rovers defender, who has 19 caps for Cape Verde, stated that he had initially thought the message, which was sent to him back in 2018, was spam.

‘I started the account for college years ago and used it sparingly,’ Lopes said to Sky Sports.

Shamrock Rovers defender Roberto Lopes has revealed he nearly missed outon an international call up after ignoring a message on LinkedIn

Cape Verde coach Rui Aguas had, according to Lopes, messaged him in Portuguese on LinkedIn and the defender had thought it was initially spam

Thankfully, Aguas ‘wrote back in English’ with the exchange kickstarting the 31-year-old’s international journey

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‘You would get these spam messages and I just thought this was another one. Thankfully, he wrote back in English. That is what set me off on this incredible adventure.’

Three years later, Lopes is relishing the opportunities that the call-up has brought to him, but added that it could have been very different.

‘Even looking back now I cannot believe how rude I was to ignore it [the message] just because it was in Portuguese. All I had to do was copy and paste it into google translate, which I did later on.’

He also admitted that he was grateful to his former manager, Aguas, who coached the side between 2018 and 2019, before admitting that he checks LinkedIn ‘every day’ now.

‘I am just blessed and so thankful to Rui Aguas who had the time and patience to write back to me in English,’ he said.

‘I have learned my lesson since. I check LinkedIn every day. And ever since that message, I have never looked past a LinkedIn message again.’

He also opened up on his footballilng journey thus far, revealing that he had spent two years working in a bank as a mortgage advisor, before realising that he wanted to get back into football and won a full-time professional contract with the Irish first division side.

Lopez has made 19 appearances for Cape Verde since making his debut back in 2019

Lopez featured during Cape Verde’s shock 2-1 win against Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday

He would go on to make his debut with Cape Verde back in 2019, during a 2-1 win against Togo.

And he opened up on his pride at representing the side, stating: ‘When I made my debut my dad was so proud. I think I put Cape Verde on the map in Ireland because everyone I meet asks me about it. The trips I go on and the places I get to see, they are just buzzing for me.’

Cape Verde’s next match at AFCON will take place on Friday where they play Mozambique. They’ll then take on Mohamed Salah’s Egypt the following Monday in their final game in Group B.

After their win against Ghana, they currently sit top of the group, two points ahead of Egypt and Mozambique after they drew 2-2 on Sunday.