Osian Roberts
 Roberts in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 August 1965[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Anglesey, Wales | ||
| Position | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Como (head of development) | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1985–1988 | Furman Paladins | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Bangor City | |||
| 1984–1985 | Bethesda Athletic | ||
| Llangefni Town | |||
| 1989–1990 | New Mexico Chiles | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1990 | New Mexico Chiles | ||
| 1996–1999 | Wales U16 | ||
| 1996–1999 | Wales U18 | ||
| 1999 | Wales B | ||
| 1999–2007 | Porthmadog | ||
| 2023–2024 | Como (interim) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Osian Roberts (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɔʃan][2][3]; born 18 August 1965) is a Welsh football coach and former player who is the head of development of Serie A club Como. In 2014, he was described in the media as "the most influential man in Welsh football".[4]
Early life
[edit]Roberts was born on Anglesey,[4] and was brought up in Bodffordd on the island.[5]
Career
[edit]Roberts was a central midfielder,[4] and captained the Welsh Schools side.[5] He played in north Wales for Bangor City, Bethesda Athletic and Llangefni Town,[4][6] before moving to the United States at the age of 19 after receiving a scholarship to attend Furman University.[4] At Furman, he was named Southern Conference player of the year in 1986 and 1988.[7] He later played in the American Professional Soccer League for the New Mexico Chiles, where he was player-manager.[5]
After returning to Wales, he became Anglesey Football Development Officer in 1991.[4]
In June 2007, Roberts resigned as manager of Porthmadog to take up the position of Football Association of Wales technical director.[4] He has also coached the Wales under-16, Wales under-18 and Wales B teams, as well as helping coach the women's under-17 team.[4] In 2014, he was the subject of documentary series called Byd Pêl-droed Osian Roberts; it was shown on S4C.[5][8]
On 21 July 2015, Roberts was promoted to assistant manager of the Wales national team under team manager Chris Coleman.[9] Coleman resigned the manager role in November 2017 and Roberts stated that he wished to become the new national team manager.[10] Roberts was retained as assistant manager following the appointment of Ryan Giggs as Wales manager.[11]
On 1 August 2019, it was announced that Roberts had become technical director of the Morocco national team.[12][13] He resigned in July 2021.[14]
In August 2021, he became assistant manager to Patrick Vieira at Crystal Palace.[15][16] Vieira was sacked by Crystal Palace in March 2023 with Roberts and other coaching staff also being released.[17]
In December 2023, Italian club Como announced the appointment of Roberts as their new caretaker coach until the end of the 2023–24 Serie B season, replacing Cesc Fàbregas, who had also been caretaker; Roberts also served as head of development for the club.[18][19][20][21] He eventually guided the club to promotion to Serie A after 21 years by finishing in second place.[22][23][24] Fàbregas returned to the role in July 2024.[25]
Managerial statistics
[edit]- As of match played 10 May 2024 [26]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Como (caretaker) | 20 December 2023 | 15 July 2024 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 57.14 |
| Total | 21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 57.14 | ||
References
[edit]- ↑ "Osian Roberts". Soccerway.
- ↑ www.dailypost.co.uk https://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/17-welsh-names-people-tried-16078602. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Broster, Heather (14 November 2023). "The 10 Most Popular Male Welsh Names (and Their Pronunciation)". We Learn Welsh. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Osian's a football power in Wales". Wales Online. 24 June 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 "Byd Pêl-droed Osian Roberts". S4C. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ↑ "Wales Assistant manager Osian Roberts awarded Honorary Fellowship". University of Wales Trinity Saint David. 12 July 2017. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ↑ "Furman University media guide (2012)" (pdf). Furman University. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ↑ "Osian Roberts - On TV". Football Association of Wales. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ↑ "Cardiff City coach Paul Trollope joins Wales set-up". BBC Sport. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ↑ "Osian Roberts hopes to succeed Chris Coleman as Wales boss". BBC Sport. 25 November 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ↑ "Wales football: Ryan Giggs to keep Roberts on Wales staff". BBC Sport. 23 February 2018.
- ↑ "Osian Roberts: Wales assistant manager appointed Morocco's Technical Director". BBC Sport. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ↑ "Osian Roberts has 'fallen in love' with Morocco". BBC Sport. 7 October 2020.
- ↑ @Osian_Roberts (27 July 2021). "I can confirm that I have resigned from the @FRMF I have had a fantastic 2 years working in a truly beautiful count…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ "Osian Roberts appointed Vieira's assistant - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 6 August 2021.
- ↑ "Osian Roberts delighted after being appointed Crystal Palace assistant manager". BT.com.
- ↑ "Palace sack manager Vieira after winless run". BBC Sport. 17 March 2023.
- ↑ "Como 1907 Appoints Osian Roberts as Caretaker Manager". Como 1907. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ↑ "Cesc Fàbregas to step down as Como coach". ESPN.com. 21 December 2023.
- ↑ Stockdale, Ollie (20 December 2023). "Osian Roberts lands big Italian football job alongside Cesc Fàbregas". Wales Online.
- ↑ "'That Thierry Henry thought of me means a lot'". BBC Sport. 5 January 2024.
- ↑ Campanale, Susy (10 May 2024). "Como and Parma promoted to Serie A, play-offs set". Football Italia.
- ↑ "Como end 21-year Serie A absence with Cosenza draw". BBC Sport. 10 May 2024.
- ↑ "Como: How a Welshman helped end 21-year Serie A absence". BBC Sport. 12 May 2024.
- ↑ "Como: Cesc Fabregas becomes head coach of Serie A side". BBC Sport. 19 July 2024.
- ↑ "Osian Roberts". FotMob. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- 1965 births
- Living people
- Welsh men's footballers
- Welsh football managers
- Sportspeople from Anglesey
- Bangor City F.C. players
- Bethesda Athletic F.C. players
- New Mexico Chiles players
- American Professional Soccer League players
- Men's association football midfielders
- Welsh football coaches
- Crystal Palace F.C. non-playing staff
- Welsh expatriate men's footballers
- Welsh expatriate football managers
- Welsh expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- Expatriate soccer head coaches in the United States
- British expatriates in Morocco
- Expatriate football managers in Morocco
- Llangefni Town F.C. players
- Serie B managers
- Como 1907 managers
- Como 1907 non-playing staff