Mark Roberts

Mark Alan Roberts (born 16 October 1983) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender.

Roberts started his career at Crewe Alexandra at the age of 11, and progressed through the club's academy; signing a professional contract at the age of 19.

He played six times during his seven years for Crewe's first team, and was sent out on loan six times during his spell at the club.

After progressing through the club's academy, he signed a professional contract with the club on 6 July 2003 at the age of 19.

Roberts signed for Northern Premier League Division One club Leek Town on a two-month loan agreement in November 2003.

He made his debut in the club's 3–1 victory against Lincoln United on 22 November 2003.

Roberts scored his first goal in senior football in Leek's 2–1 home defeat to Kidsgrove Athletic on 26 December 2003.

He played 10 times during the loan spell, scoring two goals.

A week after returning to Crewe from his loan spell at Leek, Roberts was loaned out once again, this time joining Vauxhall Motors of the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

He made his debut in a 3–2 victory at home to Southport on 31 January 2004.

He made 19 appearances during the loan agreement, scoring three goals.

After playing his first full 90 minutes for Crewe in a 2–1 pre-season friendly victory against Everton, Crewe assistant manager, Neil Baker, stated "Mark's a player that I felt could bridge the gap, having worked with him more than the other coaches. The way he coped should give him the belief to go on now."

Roberts made his Crewe debut on 21 September 2004, starting in a League Cup match against Sunderland, a game that Crewe won 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out after playing out a 3–3 draw after extra time.

He made his Football League debut for Crewe in a 1–0 defeat at Preston North End on 25 September 2004, and made five more appearances before his run in the first team was curtailed by injury.

Having been unable to establish himself as a regular in the Crewe first team, Roberts joined Conference National club Southport on loan.

Despite still being under contract at Crewe, Roberts had not made a first-team appearance for the club since 2004 and was again loaned out ahead of the 2006–07 season, this time to Conference National club Halifax Town.

Roberts made his Southport debut in a 4–0 away defeat to Accrington Stanley on 26 November 2005.

He played six games for Southport, before joining Chester City on a one-month loan agreement.

Roberts started one game for Chester in a 5–0 defeat at Carlisle United, and did not play again for the Cheshire club subsequent to this match.

Roberts played 20 games for the Cheshire club during the second half of the 2006–07 season, before returning to the Football League with Accrington Stanley in summer 2007.

He played 37 games for the club, before being loaned back to Northwich Victoria, a move which was later made permanent.

Roberts was loaned out to Southport for a second time in March 2006, making his second debut for the club in a 2–1 victory away to Forest Green Rovers, in which he was sent off in the 88th-minute for two bookable offences.

He played 12 times during his second loan spell at the club.

He played his first game for Halifax in the club's first game of the 2006–07 season, starting in a 2–0 away defeat to Oxford United.

Following a loan spell at his hometown club, Northwich Victoria, he joined the club on a permanent basis in 2007.

During the 2008–09 season, Roberts joined Stevenage on an initial one-month loan agreement, before signing permanently in January 2009 for an undisclosed fee.

That season, he was part of the team that won the FA Trophy in May 2009.

Roberts was made team captain ahead of the 2009–10 season, a season in which Roberts would help lead the team to the Football League for the first time in the club's history.

The following season, the club earned back-to-back promotions following their sixth-place finish and subsequent League Two play-off victory in May 2011.

He also spent two spells as caretaker manager of the club, once in January 2012 and again in March 2013.

After a successful four-and-a-half-year spell at Stevenage, Roberts joined Fleetwood Town on a free transfer in July 2013.

He captained Fleetwood to promotion via the play-offs during his first season with the club.

After two seasons at Fleetwood, Roberts joined League Two club Cambridge United in May 2015, where he spent two seasons.

He subsequently spent the 2017–18 season at fellow League Two club Forest Green Rovers, before signing for Warrington Town of the Northern Premier League in August 2018.

Roberts captained Warrington as they won the Northern Premier League play-offs in his first season there, although the club would ultimately be defeated in the step three super play-off final.

He made 144 appearances over four years at Warrington, before announcing his retirement from playing in June 2022.

Born in Northwich, Cheshire, Roberts also grew up in Cheshire.

He was a season ticket holder at Old Trafford during his childhood years, where he sat in the Stretford End supporting Manchester United.

Roberts started playing football for his local team Northwich Town at the age of seven.

Roberts signed for Crewe Alexandra at the age of 11.