| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Roberts | ||
| Date of birth | 1863 | ||
| Place of birth | Rhyl, Wales | ||
| Date of death | Not known | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1880–1885 | Rhyl | ||
| 1885–1891 | Manchester Welsh | ||
| National team | |||
| 1883 | Wales | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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William Roberts (born 1863) was a Welsh footballer who played as a forward in the 1880s and made one appearance for Wales.
Roberts was born in Rhyl in north-east Wales and started his football career at his local club.[1] At Rhyl, he was a "good dribbler and very tricky" who "combined well with his colleagues". He was an opportunistic player who excelled at "individual runs".[1] As team captain, he helped Rhyl reach the final of the Northern Welsh F.A. in 1883.[1]
His solitary international appearance came at the Kennington Oval against England on 3 February 1883 when he was a late replacement for Thomas Britten, thus becoming the first international player from Rhyl.[1] His international appearance was not a success as the match finished 5–0 in favour of the home country[2] with three goals from Clement Mitchell.[3] Roberts' performance was criticised for his lack of experience: "He may play fairly well for his own club but cannot be said to have been a success against England".[1]
A butcher by trade, Roberts moved to Manchester in 1885, where he turned out for the local Welsh expatriate side.[1]