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Osian Roberts is a Welsh football coach and former player who is assistant manager at Crystal Palace.

Osian Roberts

Roberts in 2015
Personal information
Place of birth	Anglesey, Wales
Position(s)	Central midfielder
Club information
Current team	Crystal Palace (assistant manager)
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
Teams managed
1990	New Mexico Chiles
1996–1999	Wales U16
1996–1999	Wales U18
1999	Wales B
1999–2007	Porthmadog
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He has been described as "the most influential man in Welsh football."[1]

Early life

Roberts was born in Anglesey,[1] and was brought up in Bodffordd on the island.[2]

Career

Roberts was a central midfielder,[1] and captained the Welsh Schools side.[2] He played in North Wales for Bangor City, Bethesda Athletic and Llangefni Town,[1][3] before moving to the United States at the age of 19 after receiving a scholarship to attend Furman University.[1] At Furman, he was named Southern Conference player of the year in 1986 and 1988.[4] He later played in the American Professional Soccer League for the New Mexico Chiles, where he was player-manager.[2]

After returning to Wales, he became Anglesey's Football Development Officer in 1991.[1]

Roberts resigned as manager of Porthmadog to take up his position as technical director of the Welsh national team.[1] 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.[1] In 2014, he was the subject of documentary series called Byd Pêl-droed Osian Roberts; it was shown on S4C.[2][5]

On 21 July 2015, Roberts was promoted to assistant manager of the Welsh national team.[6] In November 2017, after Chris Coleman left the role, Roberts stated that he wished to become the new national team manager.[7] Roberts was kept on as assistant manager following the appointment of Ryan Giggs.[8]

On 1 August 2019 it was announced that Roberts had become technical director of the Morocco national team.[9][10] He resigned in July 2021.[11]

In August 2021 he became assistant manager at Crystal Palace.[12][13]

References

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