The man who scored the final goal of Euro 2016 is a player not many have been familiar with. Eder achieved a feat that even the greats like Eusebio, Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo could not do as his goal delivered Portugal its first international trophy. The 28-year-old did not have much of an impact in the entire tournament but stepped up to the occasion when it mattered the most.
Speaking of that goal which sent the host country into despair and his nation into delirium, he said to the Daily Mail, "I received it on the half turn. I jinked away from Koscielny and found some space to shoot. Then I just let fly. And how it flew! I hit it so hard and when the ball smashed into the net I was so happy. It was huge for me, huge for us, huge for the country." The moment the ball hit the back of the net, it was confirmed that Portugal had achieved something spectacular.
Eder admits that he still watches that goal scored in Paris time and again. The striker says, "I must have watched it back 15 times. OK, maybe more! Sometimes, I will just go on YouTube and rewatch it. Why not?" This was his first competitive goal for Portugal as the other three goals he scored for the national team, have come in friendlies.
Convinced of impact at the Euros
Eder was confident that he will make a difference for his team in the Euros long before he scored his career-defining goal. "I just had a feeling. Even before the Euros, I was convinced something was going to happen for me. Even before the coach called me to come on, I said to him, “Don’t worry, I’m going to score
“Cristiano was on the touchline at that point cheering us on and he told me I was going to score. I was prepared. I had worked so hard in training and then it was the game, the last chance and I just went for it."
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Portugal manager, Fernando Santos put forward a beautiful line for the striker. He said that the 'ugly duckling became a beautiful swan.' Eder says that he received numerous congratulatory message and he quipped, "My father was so happy that he cried on the phone. He said he was happy and proud of me."
Tough times for the Portuguese striker
Life has not been this fortunate for the striker as it has been for the past three months. His father, Filomeno Antonio Lopes has been in an English prison since 2003, serving a life imprisonment for the murder of Eder's stepmother, Domingas Olivais. His journey from his tough upbringing to lifting the European Cup for Portugal has been an inspiring one.
Eder, born in the Portuguese colony of Guinea-Bissau, moved to Portugal with his parents when he was three. As their family could not meet ends, Eder was sent to an orphanage when he was just eight. "I can’t lie, it was hard. Yeah, very difficult. I was in an orphanage without my parents. Things can go badly in those places. I look at where some of my friends are now and yeah, they’re not very well." Eder explained his troubled childhood where he started playing football on a playground littered with glass pieces.
A jury at Norwich Crown Court heard both sides concerning Eder's stepmother's murder but found his father guilty. His dad though maintained that he dropped Olivais back at a hotel but the CCTV could not vouch for that. Portuguese authorities issued an extradition order for him in connection with three armed robberies. Eder was 12 at that time and still visits his father whenever he gets time.
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He said, "I was 12 and in an orphanage." Eder says. "My stepmother died, they accused my father and he’s in prison. I wasn’t there and obviously I can’t say for certain what happened. But my dad says he is innocent. Then, it becomes a question that requires a lot of soul-searching. He’s my dad and I believe him. I am not stating that the court did anything wrong but he’s my father. He’s still in jail in England. I’ve visited him. I started to visit him when I was 22 and when I have time, I see him." he continued.
Eder’s football career takes off
He left his orphanage at the age of 18 and joined Portuguese second tier club Tourizense. Then he played for Academica and Braga, where he had the first taste of Champions League football. Eder was included in the Portugal squad for the first time in 2012 when he was at Braga.
He was in the squad that Portugal sent for the 2014 World Cup but was criticised a lot by supporters and media alike. He was even compared to a traffic cone by the frustrated supporters.
It was during this period, that Eder had contemplated over taking his own life. "My mind went to some very bad places. I went through a very low phase. I had suffered some bad injuries and went to the World Cup and things didn’t go well. It was hard. I struggled to believe in things and dream again. It was a really horrible period for me and you wonder whether you can escape it."
It was God's grace that during this tough period he met a psychologist during one of the match days in Braga. Susana helped Eder to come out of his low period as he continued, "I worked hard on my mentality and began to dream again. Susana was the catalyst. She helped a lot." Both are now planning to write a book to help others overcome their difficulties in life.
The 28-year-old, who just made 13 appearances for Swansea last season, failed to make an impression in the Premier League. He is now with the French club Lille where he talks about Portugal's journey of reaching the summit this summer, "There was something poetic about the goal. It was the tournament of the underdog. Unexpected teams did very well and then I scored my goal. Wales did it. Iceland did it. I did it. People have to dream and believe. Sport can never lose that."
Had Cristiano Ronaldo not gotten injured in the Euro final, Eder would not have been able to write his fate. Last season saw many fairytale endings, like Leicester's rise to the top with Jamie Vardy being the catalyst. Portugal and Eder had a similar story of achieving success when no one other than them believed in them to go the distance.
