SLATER Des Sutherland is hoping he can raise the roof in Sligo.

The 26-year-old from Galashiels has been plucked from obscurity as a prime candidate to lead Ireland's top football team for the rest of the season.

But the former Academy pupil admits he'd never heard of them or the town before getting the unexpected call this week.

Although being the early home of poet WB Yeats and regarded as one of the Emerald Isle's top tourism destinations, Sutherland had to spend the weekend on the internet finding out about the West Coast county town.

And he was quick to realise it would be a dream move. Des told us: "I've been looking them up ever since I got the call and they are a big club - they were playing in Europe last week. Nothing has been agreed yet but if they want me I'll be on that ferry straight away.

"I work for my dad and he's happy for me to go."

Sligo Rovers currently sit top of the Irish Premier League with only a dozen games to go of their summer season.

But they were knocked out of the Europa League last week by Slovakians, Sparta Trnava, and their star striker, Danny North, has now been sidelined for the rest of the season.

A desperate search around Ireland and Scotland by manager Ian Baraclough for a replacement led to Sutherland getting the call.

Full story in this week's Border Telegraph...