Marc Roberts (footballer)

Last updated

Marc Roberts
Marc Roberts Birmingham 2019.jpg
Roberts with Birmingham City in 2019
Personal information
Full name Marc Roberts [1]
Date of birth (1990-07-26) 26 July 1990 (age 34) [2]
Place of birth Barnsley, England
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) [3]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
Barnsley
Number 4
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2008–2011 Wakefield
2011–2013 Worksop Town
2012–2013Buxton (loan)
2013 Buxton 0 (0)
2013–2015 FC Halifax Town 89 (9)
2015–2017 Barnsley 72 (5)
2017–2024 Birmingham City 186 (7)
2024– Barnsley 6 (1)
International career
2014–2015 England C 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:44, 14 September 2024 (UTC)

Marc Roberts (born 26 July 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League One club Barnsley.

Contents

Roberts began his career in non-league football, with Wakefield, Worksop Town, Buxton and FC Halifax Town, and was capped for England C, the team that represents England at semi-professional level. He joined League One club Barnsley in 2015, helped them gain promotion to the Championship, and captained the team. He signed for Birmingham in July 2017, and was released seven years later.

Life and career

Roberts was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, [4] and raised in Penistone, where he attended Penistone Grammar School. [5] He played football for Barnsley Boys and for Barnsley College, and as a 17-year-old was offered a trial with Barnsley F.C. but a broken ankle prevented his taking part. [5]

Roberts began his senior football career with Wakefield of the Northern Premier League Division One North in 2008. After 17 first-team appearances, he had a trial with then Championship club Crystal Palace, on the recommendation of Wakefield manager Ronnie Glavin. [6] No deal ensued, and Roberts returned to Wakefield to complete a season in which he won the Directors' Player of the Season award. In 2009–10, he won both Players' and Supporters' Player of the Season awards. In both campaigns, he won more man-of-the-match awards than any other Wakefield player. [7] In 2011, he moved up a division, signing for Worksop Town. [8]

A few weeks into the season, manager Martin McIntosh was sacked; [9] he took over at another Premier Division club, Buxton, in February 2012, [10] and promptly took Roberts on loan. [11] Roberts played his part in Buxton avoiding relegation, [8] and returned to Worksop where he appeared on the winning side in the Sheffield Senior Cup final. [12] For 2012–13, Worksop's manager felt he had better defensive lineups without Roberts, who was keen to play regularly, so he was allowed to rejoin Buxton on loan for the season. [8] He took his statistics to 5 goals from 65 appearances in all competitions, [11] and was named Buxton's Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year, [13] as well as gaining selection for the Northern Premier League Premier Division Team of the Year. [14] Roberts signed a permanent contract with Buxton in June 2013; although his Worksop contract had expired, a development fee was payable because of his age. [11] [15]

A month later, Roberts moved to FC Halifax Town, newly promoted to the Conference Premier. [16] [3]

Roberts spent two seasons with the Shaymen before signing for League One club Barnsley in May 2015. [17] He made his Football League debut on 8 August 2015 in a 3–1 defeat against Chesterfield. [18] Roberts became Barnsley captain on 28 January 2017, [19] after Conor Hourihane's transfer to Aston Villa.

Birmingham City

Roberts signed a five-year contract with Championship club Birmingham City on 1 July 2017; the fee was undisclosed. [20] He went straight into the starting eleven for the opening fixture of the 2017–18 season, which Birmingham lost 1–0 away to Ipswich Town, [2] and was a regular in the side until February 2018. [21] When Garry Monk took over as manager, he "had just one day to pick the back pairing" and chose Michael Morrison and Harlee Dean. Monk said later that Roberts had been unfortunate, but that the consistency of the Morrison–Dean partnership meant they kept their places. With Dean suspended for two of the last three matches of the season, Roberts came into the side to face Sheffield United and scored a first-half equaliser in a win that made a major contribution to their avoiding relegation. [22] Morrison and Dean remained the pairing of choice, but when Morrison injured a hamstring in December 2018, Roberts was unable to take his chance. Nine minutes into his first league start of the season, he suffered a calf injury [23] that left him unfit for selection until after the March 2019 international break. [24] He came back into the side for the last two matches of the season with the team secure from relegation, partnering Wes Harding at centre-back after Dean had surgery on a groin problem and Morrison picked up an ankle injury. [25]

He left the club when his contract expired at the end of the 2023–24 season. [26]

Return to Barnsley

On 3 July 2024, Roberts returned his home-town club, Barnsley of League One, on a two-year deal. [27] He was appointed vice-captain, with Luca Connell as club captain. [28] In his second match of the season, away to Lincoln City, he assisted Sam Cosgrove's opening goal and scored Barnsley's second in a 2–1 win. [29]

Career statistics

As of match played 14 September 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague FA Cup League Cup OtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FC Halifax Town 2013–14 [21] Conference Premier 445202 [lower-alpha 1] 0485
2014–15 [21] Conference Premier454305 [lower-alpha 2] 1535
Total899507110110
Barnsley 2015–16 [30] League One 32110206 [lower-alpha 3] 0411
2016–17 [31] Championship 4042010434
Total725303060845
Birmingham City 2017–18 [2] Championship3013020351
2018–19 [32] Championship80001090
2019–20 [33] Championship3401000350
2020–21 [34] Championship3641000374
2021–22 [35] Championship3920000392
2022–23 [36] Championship2500010260
2023–24 [37] Championship1401010160
Total186760501977
Barnsley 2024–25 [38] Championship6100100071
Career total353221409013138923
  1. Appearances in Conference Premier play-offs
  2. Appearances in FA Trophy
  3. Three appearances in League One play-offs, three in Football League Trophy

Honours

Barnsley

Individual

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References

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