Tyler Roberts

Tyler D'Whyte Roberts (born 12 January 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for club Birmingham City and the Wales national football team.

He became only the second player born in 1999 to play in the Premier League, following on from Leko who had done so the month before.

Having then gone on to represent the club at age group level, Roberts was named on West Brom's bench for the first time on the final day of the 2014–15 season against Arsenal.

However, he did not make it on to the pitch.

He made his Premier League debut for the club on the final day of the 2015–16 season in a 1–1 draw with Liverpool, coming on as a second-half substitute for fellow academy graduate Jonathan Leko.

Shortly after coming on, Roberts was booked for a rash challenge on Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.

Roberts is an academy graduate of West Bromwich Albion and made his professional debut for the club in May 2016.

Following Roberts' inclusion in the squad, he was listed by Match of the Day magazine as one of the 20 wonder-kids to look out for in 2016.

On 14 January 2016, just two days after his 17th birthday, Roberts turned professional with West Brom, signing a 2 1⁄2-year contract.

On 28 July 2016, Roberts joined League One club Oxford United on loan until January 2017.

He made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 2016–17 season, coming off the bench for Chris Maguire in a 1–1 draw with Chesterfield.

His League Cup debut came the following week when he entered the field of play as an extra-time substitute in Oxford's 1–0 win over Birmingham City.

He scored the first goal of his professional career in a 4–2 victory over League Two club Exeter City in the 2016–17 EFL Trophy on 30 August.

On 5 November, Roberts made his FA Cup debut and scored in a 5–0 win over Merstham of the Isthmian League.

In the second round a month later, he scored the winning penalty in a shootout against Southend United.

In December, Oxford manager Michael Appleton lodged a request to West Brom to extend Roberts' loan, but on 17 January 2017, he joined another League One club, Shrewsbury Town, on loan until the end of the season.

He made his debut four days later, starting in a 1–0 league win over Oldham Athletic.

Roberts' first goal for the club, and his first in league football, opened the scoring in a 2–1 win over Bury on 4 February.

He suffered a hamstring injury in a 2–1 defeat to Millwall on 4 April that put an end to his stint at Shrewsbury.

He ended the campaign with four goals and two assists for the club as they narrowly avoided relegation, and won the club's Young Player of the Year award.

On 25 August 2017, Roberts left West Brom on loan once again, joining League One side Walsall for the season.

The following day, he scored one goal and assisted another on debut against Bradford City, helping Walsall come from 3–0 down to earn a 3–3 draw.

He went on to score five goals in 17 appearances before being recalled by West Brom at the half-way mark of the season.

Roberts' return to West Brom was short-lived, however, as the arrival of Daniel Sturridge on loan from Liverpool limited his first team chances further.

Loan spells in League One with Oxford United, Shrewsbury Town and Walsall followed before he joined Leeds United in January 2018.

He made his senior Wales debut in 2018, having previously represented the nation at various youth levels, and represented Wales at UEFA Euro 2020.

A versatile forward, he can play as a striker, winger or attacking midfielder.

Born in Gloucester to parents of Jamaican and Welsh descent, Roberts moved to Birmingham aged 11.

He attended Sandwell Academy in West Bromwich.

Having spotted him playing for junior side Tredworth Tigers at a Gloucester Festival, West Bromwich Albion decided to sign Roberts for their academy when he was just seven years old.

As a result, on the final day of the January 2018 transfer window, he signed for Championship club Leeds United on a four-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee, reported at the time as £2.5 million and later reported as potentially rising to £4 million depending on clauses.

Roberts had arrived at the club with a minor knock, and looked set to make his debut in the middle of February.

However, on 14 February, new manager Paul Heckingbottom confirmed that he had cracked his shin bone when he returned to training and would be out for several weeks, but ultimately missed the remainder of the season.

After spending several months on the sidelines, Roberts made his unofficial debut as a second-half substitute during a pre-season friendly against Southend United.

His full debut followed on 14 August when he started an EFL Cup fixture against Bolton Wanderers.

In September, he made his league debut in a 1–1 draw with Millwall and three days later scored his first two goals for the club in a 3–0 victory over Preston North End.

Playing in an attacking midfielder position, he assisted Patrick Bamford twice in a 4–0 victory over his former club, West Bromwich Albion, on 1 March, and received the man of the match award.

He was one of three players nominated for the club's Young Player Of The Season award alongside Jamie Shackleton and Jack Clarke, but lost out to Clarke.

In the 2019-2020 season, Roberts was a member of the Leeds squad that won the 2019–20 EFL Championship title and promotion to the Premier League under manager Marcelo Bielsa.

He spent the 2022–23 season on loan at Queens Park Rangers before joining Birmingham City in June 2023.