He has cleaned up dirty dishes and now Jake Friend is ready to clean up as a Kangaroo

ROOSTERS hooker Jake Friend will make his Test debut against Scotland, a world away from the Surry Hills cafe where he used to wipe down dirty tables.

Jake Friend at 'Cafe Foveaux' in Surry Hills.

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HE has cleaned up dirty dishes, cleaned up his act and he’s now ready to clean up as a Kangaroo.

Sydney Roosters hooker Jake Friend will make his Test debut against Scotland on Saturday morning in Hull, a world away from the Surry Hills cafe where he used to wipe down dirty tables.

After several alcohol-fuelled dramas, the Roosters dumped Friend in December, 2009.

At just 19, he had hit rock-bottom. Then Jimmy Spiropoulos, a staunch Roosters fan, walked into Friend’s clouded world — and things changed forever.

Jake Friend worked at 'Cafe Foveaux' while he was suspended from the Roosters in 2010.

Spiropoulos owned the popular eatery Cafe Foveaux near Central Station. He employed Friend when no-one else wanted him, paying him $400 for a 30-hour week.

Friend would rise at 6am and head to Coogee Oval to train with former first grader Joe Thomas.

He’d then clock on in Surry Hills at 8am sharp.

He would work through until 2pm before returning to the eastern suburbs by bus to complete his solo training program.

Friend stuck at it and found stability in his life.

Sydney Roosters player Jake Friend has a coffee back at 'Cafe Foveaux', Surry Hills in Sydney, where he worked while he was suspended from the Roosters.

“They were hard and demeaning tasks,” said Spiropoulos, who has now left the cafe.

“My wife (Patricia) and I were both so happy when we heard he had been picked for Australia. He has earnt this. When he got picked as captain of the Roosters, we were over-the-moon. Now he’s an Australian player, he has come along way.

“Jake has worked very hard, he has put in so many ‘extras’. It’s a great reward for all his hard work.”

Jake Friend in action for the Roosters. Picture: Mark Evans

Friend worked for Spiropoulos for six months before being reinstated by the Roosters in May, 2010. A glowing reference from Spiropoulos to then NRL chief executive David Gallop helped Friend’s push for an NRL return.

“It (the job) taught him about stability and hard work,” Spiropoulos said. “He realised that it’s not that easy — we were there working 14 hours a day. But Jake put in 100 per cent, he never shirked any tasks. He was a general roustabout in the kitchen.

“He was a demon with the knife out back. He was cutting parsley. I told him I hadn’t seen anyone cut parsley like that since my mum. He said it was because he used to help his mum in the kitchen.”

Originally published as He has cleaned up dirty dishes and now Jake Friend is ready to clean up as a Kangaroo