Mallan Roberts

Mallan Roberts
Personal information
Date of birth6 June 1992
Place of birthFreetown, Sierra Leone
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionCenterback
Club information
Current team
FC Edmonton
Number15
Youth career
NAIT Ooks
2012–2013FC Edmonton
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2013–FC Edmonton23(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of November 2, 2014.
† Appearances (Goals).

Mallan Roberts (born 6 June 1992) is an Canadian professional footballer who plays as a centerback for FC Edmonton of the North American Soccer League.

Career

Youth

Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Roberts began playing soccer in Sierra Leone before continuing to play the game in Edmonton, Alberta after he and his father fled from Sierra Leone due to the Sierra Leone Civil War.[1] While in high-school Roberts started to play Canadian Football for his high-school side and then for the local Canadian Junior Football League side, the Edmonton Huskies.[2] He also spent a few weeks training with Canadian Football League side, the Edmonton Eskimos before going back into soccer and playing with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology soccer team before joining the FC Edmonton reserves in 2012.[2]

FC Edmonton

On 20 February 2013 it was announced that Roberts had signed his first professional contract with FC Edmonton of the North American Soccer League.[2] He then made his professional debut for FC Edmonton in a Canadian Championship match against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in which started and played the full 90 minutes as Edmonton lost the match 2–3.[3] Roberts then scored his first professional goal of his career on 30 June 2013 against Minnesota United FC in an NASL match in which he found the net in the 11th minute as FC Edmonton went on to win the match 3–1.[4]

International

Roberts has said he is open to representing either Sierra Leone or Canada. He was expecting to gain Canadian citizenship sometime during the summer of 2013.[1] Roberts finally received his Canadian citizenship on February 12, 2015.[5] Sierra Leone attempted to call up Roberts twice in 2014 for Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, but due to the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa, he was unable to join the squad.[6]

Career statistics

As of November 2, 2014[7]
Club Season League League Cup Domestic Cup CONCACAF Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FC Edmonton 2013 111002000131
FC Edmonton 2014 121002000141
Career total 232004000272

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Sandor, Steve. "FCE’s Mallan Roberts: The top CB prospect in Canada is set to become Canadian". The 11. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "FC Edmonton Sign Five Reserves to Pro Contracts". North American Soccer League. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  3. Green, Darcy. "Vancouver Whitecaps FC defeat FC Edmonton 3-2 in the ACC semifinal first leg". Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  4. "FC Edmonton 3 Minnesota United FC 1". North American Soccer League. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  5. "Roberts is FC Edmonton's Latest Canadian". February 12, 2015.
  6. Levine, Matthew (February 13, 2015). "Mallan Roberts Receives Canadian Citizenship; Reunion With Family On Horizon".
  7. Mallan Roberts profile at Soccerway

External links