Former Sheffield United youngster moves on again after contract row
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Lopata announced his exit from Roots Hall earlier this month, after being forced to wait more than 28 days for his January salary. Officials there lodged an appeal to the Football Association’s Contracts Disputes Tribunal after the National League ruled in the player’s favour. But this was rejected, meaning Lopata is now a free agent. In an apparent indication of the bitterness prompted by the row, the centre-half published a message on one of his social media accounts when the FA’s decision was announced. Referring to Southend’s owner and chairman Ron Martin, it read: ‘Kasp 2, Ron 0’. Martin recently announced he is exploring the possibility of selling his shareholding.
Lopata made two senior appearances for United before deciding to agree a permanent transfer to Southend, where he had previously impressed on loan, in September. Speaking at the time, manager Paul Heckingbottom insisted he would have preferred to keep the player at Bramall Lane, revealing his employers had rejected an approach from an unnamed Polish top-flight side for him during the close season. But amid reports that Lopata had grown frustrated by a lack of first team opportunities and suggestions of a disagreement over his terms and conditions, which were privately denied by several members of United’s hierarchy, Heckingbottom conceded it would have been inadvisable to force him to stay.
Lopata featured 44 times in total for Southend, scoring once.