Iwan Roberts facts for kids
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Roberts celebrating after scoring a goal for Norwich City in 2004
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Iwan Wyn Roberts | ||
| Date of birth | 26 June 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Bangor, Wales | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1986 | Watford | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1990 | Watford | 63 | (9) |
| 1990–1993 | Huddersfield Town | 142 | (50) |
| 1993–1996 | Leicester City | 100 | (41) |
| 1996–1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 33 | (12) |
| 1997–2004 | Norwich City | 278 | (84) |
| 2004–2005 | Gillingham | 20 | (3) |
| 2005 | → Cambridge United (loan) | 11 | (3) |
| Total | 647 | (202) | |
| International career | |||
| 1989–2001 | Wales | 15 | (0) |
| 1994 | Wales B | 1 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2004 | Gillingham (joint-caretaker) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Iwan Wyn Roberts (born 26 June 1968) is a Welsh former professional footballer. He played as a forward from 1986 to 2005. Roberts played for several clubs and the Wales national team.
He started his football journey at Watford as a trainee. He signed his first professional contract there in 1986. Later, he moved to Huddersfield Town in 1990. After three seasons, he joined Leicester City. Roberts then played for Wolverhampton Wanderers for one season. He spent seven years at Norwich City, becoming a fan favorite.
Roberts played 647 league games in his career. Almost half of these were for Norwich City. He scored 61 goals in three peak seasons. In his final game for Norwich, he scored twice. This helped Norwich get promoted to the Premiership. In 2002, he was added to the Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame. He finished his career with spells at Gillingham and Cambridge United.
After retiring, Roberts became a commentator. He speaks fluent Welsh. He has worked for Sky Sports, BBC Radio Cymru, and BBC Cymru Wales. His book, All I Want for Christmas ..., was published in 2004.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Iwan Wyn Roberts was born in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales, on June 26, 1968. He grew up in Barmouth, a town on the west coast of Wales. As a child, he was a big fan of Liverpool.
Roberts was known for his missing front teeth. He lost his first front tooth at age 10 while playing football. He lost his second one at 18 during a pre-season game.
His school PE teacher, Iolo Owen, greatly influenced his career. Owen introduced him to men's football at age 15. This helped Roberts become tougher and stronger. When he joined Watford, coach Tom Walley also spoke Welsh, which made Roberts feel more comfortable. He signed his first professional contract with Watford in July 1986.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Watford
Roberts made his first team debut in the 1985–86 season. He scored his first professional goal on September 16, 1986. This goal helped Watford win 1–0 against Manchester United.
In the next season, he played 31 games and scored three goals. Watford was relegated to the Second Division that year. Roberts played 63 league games for Watford, scoring nine goals. He felt he needed more chances to play. So, he moved to Huddersfield Town in 1990.
Success at Huddersfield Town
At Huddersfield, Roberts learned a lot from coach Peter Withe. Withe taught him how to use his strength in the air. He also learned how to create space in the penalty box. Later, Frank Stapleton helped him become better at scoring goals.
In the 1991–92 season, Roberts scored a club record 34 goals. Twenty-four of these were in the league, making him a top scorer. He scored 50 goals in 142 games for Huddersfield. In November 1993, he joined Leicester City.
Time at Leicester City
Roberts debuted for Leicester against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He scored two goals in the second half to help Leicester draw the game. In April 1994, he scored three goals in one game against Derby County. Leicester fans still remember this achievement.
Leicester won the 1993–94 play-off final against Derby. This helped them get promoted. In the 1994–95 season, Leicester struggled and was relegated. But Roberts was their top scorer with 11 goals. He scored 19 more goals the next season. Leicester reached the play-offs again and won promotion to the Premiership. Roberts scored 41 goals in 100 league games for Leicester.
Moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers
In 1996, Roberts joined Wolves for £1.3 million. He spent only one season there. He scored 12 goals in 33 games. This included three goals in one match against West Bromwich Albion. Wolves finished third but lost in the play-offs.
In 1997, Wolves manager Mark McGhee told Roberts he had to leave. Norwich City had made an offer for him. Roberts did not want to leave, but he accepted the move.
Becoming a Legend at Norwich City
In July 1997, Roberts joined Norwich City for £850,000. His start at the club was tough. He scored only seven goals in his first season. Fans questioned if he was worth the money. Roberts felt it was the hardest time in his career.
After a talk with new manager Bruce Rioch, Roberts worked hard on his fitness. This paid off. In the next season, he scored 23 goals. He formed a strong partnership with Craig Bellamy. Norwich fans voted Roberts their player of the season. He won the award again in the 1999–2000 season.
Roberts helped Norwich win 2–0 against rivals Ipswich Town in March 2000. In the 2001–02 season, Norwich reached the play-off final. Roberts scored in extra-time, but Norwich lost in a penalty shoot-out.
During the 2002–03 season, Roberts was the team captain. He scored twice against Sheffield Wednesday. This made him third on Norwich City's all-time goalscorers list.
The 2003–04 season was his last at Norwich. He helped the team win the league title and get promoted. Roberts had a health scare that season. He had a malignant melanoma removed from his arm.
Norwich manager Nigel Worthington decided not to offer Roberts a new contract. For his final game, Roberts was made captain. He scored two goals as Norwich won 3–1. He described it as a very special moment. Overall, Roberts scored 96 goals in 306 games for Norwich.
Final Clubs: Gillingham and Cambridge United
After leaving Norwich, Roberts signed with Gillingham. He was a player and coach there. He had some disagreements with the club. In December 2004, he briefly served as a joint caretaker manager.
In March 2005, he joined Cambridge United on loan. He scored his 200th league goal on his debut. In August 2005, Roberts retired from playing football.
International Career for Wales
Roberts first played for Wales in April 1989. His debut was on October 11, 1989, against the Netherlands. He played alongside Malcolm Allen.
He played 15 games for Wales over 12 years. He also played one game for the Wales B team, scoring one goal. However, he never scored for the senior team. Roberts felt happy to be in the squad, competing against great players like Mark Hughes and Ian Rush. Not scoring for Wales is his biggest regret.
Playing Style
Roberts was 6 feet 3 inches tall. He was known for scoring many goals with his head. He had a strong partnership with Craig Bellamy at Norwich. Roberts said they had "telepathy" on the field. He described their partnership as the "classic big man, little man." In their first season together, Roberts scored 24 goals and Bellamy scored 17.
All I Want for Christmas ... Book
In 2004, Roberts released his book, All I Want for Christmas .... The title was a joke about his missing front teeth. It referred to the song "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth".
The book caused some discussion because it mentioned an incident from a game in 2000. Roberts later faced consequences for this. The book was praised by critics. The Daily Telegraph called it "a rollicking good read."
Life After Playing Football
Roberts has a coaching license. He has thought about becoming a manager. He applied for the manager's job at Norwich City once, but he did not get an interview.
Media Work
Roberts now works in the media. He speaks both English and Welsh. He provides commentary for Sky Sports and BBC Radio Cymru. He also works for BBC Cymru Wales. He writes for local newspapers about Norwich City. He also joins a weekly podcast called Elis James Feast of Football.
Personal Life and Health Awareness
Roberts got married in 2016. He has three children: a son and twin daughters.
In January 2020, Roberts volunteered for dementia research. This followed a study by the University of Glasgow in 2019. He takes memory and attention tests every six months. He also encourages former teammates to do the same. Roberts has said he believes heading footballs often might have affected his memory.
Legacy in Football
In 2002, Iwan Roberts became one of the first members of the Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame. In 2007, he came third in a fan vote. This vote was to choose a Norwich legend for the Professional Footballers' Association Centenary Hall of Fame.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Watford | 1985–86 | First Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| 1986–87 | First Division | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1987–88 | First Division | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 3 | |
| 1988–89 | Second Division | 22 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 6 | |
| 1989–90 | Second Division | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | |
| Total | 63 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 83 | 12 | ||
| Huddersfield Town | 1990–91 | Third Division | 44 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 14 |
| 1991–92 | Third Division | 46 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 61 | 34 | |
| 1992–93 | Second Division | 37 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 51 | 15 | |
| 1993–94 | Second Division | 15 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 5 | |
| Total | 142 | 50 | 12 | 4 | 14 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 183 | 68 | ||
| Leicester City | 1993–94 | First Division | 26 | 13 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 27 | 13 | ||
| 1994–95 | Premiership | 37 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 42 | 11 | ||
| 1995–96 | First Division | 37 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 20 | |
| Total | 100 | 41 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 111 | 44 | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1996–97 | First Division | 33 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 12 |
| Norwich City | 1997–98 | First Division | 31 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 33 | 7 | |
| 1998–99 | First Division | 45 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | — | 51 | 23 | ||
| 1999–2000 | First Division | 44 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | 49 | 19 | ||
| 2000–01 | First Division | 44 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | — | 50 | 19 | ||
| 2001–02 | First Division | 30 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 14 | |
| 2002–03 | First Division | 43 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 47 | 7 | ||
| 2003–04 | First Division | 41 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 42 | 8 | ||
| Total | 278 | 84 | 7 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 306 | 97 | ||
| Gillingham | 2004–05 | Championship | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 22 | 3 | |
| Cambridge United (loan) | 2004–05 | League Two | 11 | 3 | — | — | — | 11 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 647 | 202 | 33 | 8 | 48 | 20 | 26 | 9 | 754 | 239 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 1989 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1994 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 14 | 0 | |
Honours
Norwich City
- First Division: 2003–04
Individual
- PFA Team of the Year: 1991–92 Third Division
