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Mallan Roberts

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Mallan Roberts
Roberts with Richmond Kickers in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1992-06-06) 6 June 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth Freetown, Sierra Leone
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Heidelberg United
Number 4
Youth career
NAIT Ooks
2012–2013 FC Edmonton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2016 FC Edmonton 46 (3)
2016 → Ottawa Fury (loan) 22 (1)
2017–2018 Richmond Kickers 43 (1)
2019 Tulsa Roughnecks 31 (0)
2021– Heidelberg United 32 (1)
International career‡
2015 Canada 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 26, 2022
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 June 2015

Mallan Roberts (born 6 June 1992) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a centre back for Heidelberg United FC in the NPL Victoria.

Career

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Youth

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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

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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]

Ottawa Fury

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On 4 June 2016 Ottawa Fury FC announced it had acquired Roberts on loan to provide depth in the absence of defenders Kyle Venter and Rich Balchan due to injury.[5] In December 2016, the Fury announced that Roberts would not return to the team as the club moved to USL in 2017.[6]

Richmond Kickers

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After 4 seasons in Edmonton, Roberts signed with Richmond Kickers of the United Soccer League in February 2017.[7]

Tulsa Roughnecks

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On January 4, 2019, Roberts joined USL Championship side FC Tulsa.[8]

International

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Roberts had said he was open to representing either Sierra Leone or Canada.

Sierra Leone

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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, and coaching issues with the team, he was unable to join the squad.[9]

Canada

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Roberts was expecting to gain Canadian citizenship sometime during the summer of 2013.[1] Roberts finally received his Canadian citizenship on February 12, 2015.[10] On June 6, 2015, Roberts received his first call up from Canada coach Benito Floro to the senior squad for two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Dominica as a replacement for an injured Dejan Jaković.[11] He made his debut in the return leg against Dominica as a late substitute on June 16 and as a result, became cap-tied to Canada.

Career statistics

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Club

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As of August 26, 2022[12]
Club League Season League League Cup Domestic Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
FC Edmonton NASL 2013 11 1 0 0 2 0 13 1
2014 12 1 0 0 2 0 14 1
2015 21 1 0 0 4 0 25 2
2016 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Total 46 3 0 0 8 0 54 3
Ottawa Fury (loan) NASL 2016 22 1 0 0 0 0 22 1
Richmond Kickers USL 2017 30 1 0 0 0 0 30 1
2018 13 0 0 0 0 0 13 0
Total 43 1 0 0 0 0 43 1
Tulsa Roughnecks USL 2019 31 0 0 0 0 0 31 0
Heidelberg United NPL Victoria 2021 15 0 0 0 0 0 15 0
2022 17 1 0 0 1 0 18 1
Total 32 1 0 0 1 0 33 1
Career Total 174 6 0 0 9 0 184 6

International

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As of June 16, 2015[12]
Canada national team
2015 1 0
Total 1 0

References

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  1. ^ a b Sandor, Steve. "FCE's Mallan Roberts: The top CB prospect in Canada is set to become Canadian". The 11. Archived from the original on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "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. ^ "Canadian defender Mallan Roberts joins Fury FC on loan". Ottawa Fury FC. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  6. ^ Ottawa Fury FC Staff (December 13, 2016). "Fury FC would like to thank non-returning players". Ottawa Fury FC.
  7. ^ Richmond Kickers (February 17, 2017). "Kickers sign Roberts, Wyatt, Fitch".
  8. ^ "Roughnecks Land Uzo, Roberts". 4 January 2019.
  9. ^ Levine, Matthew (February 13, 2015). "Mallan Roberts Receives Canadian Citizenship; Reunion With Family On Horizon".
  10. ^ "Roberts is FC Edmonton's Latest Canadian". February 12, 2015.
  11. ^ "Eddies defender Roberts to replace Dejan Jakovic for Canadian World Cup qualifying camp". June 6, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Mallan Roberts at Soccerway
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