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Gareth Roberts - Doncaster Rovers


David

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DERBY County will look to wrap up the signing of Doncaster Rovers' left-back Gareth Roberts early next week.

The 32-year-old Welsh international is expected to put pen to paper on a two-year deal.

Roberts is out of contract at Doncaster and the Rams have moved for the player after they released Jay McEveley last week.

His arrival at Pride Park would see him battle with Dean Moxey for the left-back role.

Born in Wrexham, Roberts is an experienced defender with more than 400 league games under his belt.

He made 46 appearances and scored three goals this season for Doncaster, who finished 12th in the Championship – two places and four points ahead of Derby.

Roberts started as a trainee at Liverpool and was in the same FA Youth Cup-winning team as Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen in 1996, when the Reds beat a West Ham United side which featured Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand.

Liverpool released Roberts and he joined Greek side Panionios, who were managed by former Liverpool player Ronnie Whelan.

After only 15 league games in Greece, he returned to English football and signed for Tranmere Rovers, first on loan before the deal was made permanent.

He made 281 league appearances in total for Tranmere and played in the 2000 League Cup final against Leicester City, who had Rams skipper Robbie Savage in their team.

Roberts moved to Doncaster in July 2006 and helped Rovers to win promotion to the Championship in 2007-8.

Derby midfielder Paul Green was also in that Doncaster side.

When asked recently about prospects of Roberts signing a new deal at Doncaster, manager Sean O'Driscoll said: "Gareth has actually improved as a player since he has been here and I don't think he would want to go anywhere else by choice, unless he was offered terms we couldn't compete with."

Roberts has played 165 games for Doncaster.

He won the first of his nine caps for Wales as a substitute against Finland in 2000. His last was against Slovenia in 2006.

http://www.therams.co.uk/news/ROBERTS-CLOSE-JOINING-RAMS/article-2132335-detail/article.html

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feckin ell why dont they cap it off and get another feckin cripple from notts forest!

32 years of age?

i feel sorry for you season ticket holders this year i really do! loads of on loan signings, load of old oaps, and maybe if your lucky just 1 player that actually cost more than ten bob!

yanks either put up the $$$$$$$

or feck off!:mad:

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Meant to be quite a steady player from what I've been reading, Doncaster fans don't seem to pleased to see him go. You always need an element of experience within the squad and he has played for Wales you know.

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ok thats good daveo !you haved named 3 now try really hard to name 9 more decent welsh players to make a 12 man team up!

$50 says you cant

ps and not old has beens like leighton james or mark pembridge

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yule brinner has less hair and he is really ***** ,just like telly savalas!

a 32 year old?

do they honestly think this will pacify the derby fans?

remember derby fans aint as stupid as our east midland rivals!

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just heard the Gaz Roberts has signed for Derby today. I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

All the best to him though, he has served us well.

I really hope this isn't the case. He's had an excellent season and always has a great attitude.

Personally I'd be gutted he's been amazing for us can't remember him having a bad game in 2 seasons in The Championship

I hope not.

If true, it is further proof that if you piss players about and keep them waiting, they will just jump ship to a club that shows the most desire to get their signature.

Sad day for Rovers if this comes true.

That is one theory.

It might also be possible that Gaz Roberts is recognised as an established championship player and is moving to a club who require an established championship left back, and who can offer him substantially more in wages than we can.

If that is the case, there's not much the club can do.

If this turns out to be true, exceptionally pissed off would be the word(s) to sum up my feelings!

I can't believe this!! Gaz was one of our most consistent players last year, why oh why have we not had him on a longer term contract before now?? If we lose another class player for free then it again shows the narrow mindedness of our management team! The threads on the Derby forum that I have read look pretty convincing to me! If we don't start to get some of our out of contract players on a new contract soon we might as well forget it next year because we won't have a team!!

Plenty more as well at....

http://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=57&func=view&catid=999999&id=82699&limit=20

*Don't forget Doncaster have finished above us in the table 2 seasons running now.

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A year older than Russell Anderson who has come in and done a good job for us has he not? Roberts, an experienced defender that Doncaster fans are gutted to see go, and if true given a 2 year contract with no transfer fee. Let's all slit our wrists now.

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Who would you of signed and for how much money?

It's alright having ambition but we know the financial position the club is in, I'd rather see us sign an experienced defender that seems to be highly rated by fans of a club that has finished above Derby for 2 seasons running, use the money we do have to secure a player like Hooper that we have been linked with.

Think back to when we signed Anderson was we all swinging the the chandelier in excitment? no we wasn't, but has he come in and done a solid job for us alongside Barker?

Also with Teale and Hendrie leaving we will only have 3 players at the club that are over 30, Hulse, Anderson and Savage. With Savage retiring at the end of the season, Hulse's contract expiring we'l have one, two if we sign Roberts.

Let's give the guy a chance before questioning him, I've eaten humble pie far to many times and it doesn't taste all that nice.

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Seems a good steady signing to me,played 46 games last season thats what we need and if it keeps Poxey out the team im all for it.

Looking good Barker,Anderson,Roberts a new right back and i would think Bujis(sp)will play defensive mid we are looking very solid defensively.

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Looks like a solid signing to me, not long term at 32, but if he gives a couple of seasons good service so what? He deserves the chance to play at a bigger club, hope the fans don't start getting on his back just because he's bald and looks old. How about this for a song to welcome him?

He's bald,

He's old,

He's worth his weight in gold.

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GARETH Roberts is expected to become Derby County's first new signing of the closed season today.

The move for the 32-year-old left-back who is out of contract at Doncaster Rovers was held up earlier this week due to the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland which continues to disrupt air travel.

Derby had hoped to wrap up the deal but Roberts was stranded in Spain as the ash cloud closed 19 Spanish airports. He is now back in the country and should put pen to paper on a two-year contract.

Roberts captained Doncaster for much of the second half of last season and made 46 appearances, scoring three goals including the club's goal of the season in the 2-1 win at Peterborough.

Roberts, a former Doncaster team-mate of Rams midfielder Paul Green, was a trainee at Liverpool where he picked up an FA Youth Cup winners' medal.

He had a brief spell in Greece with Panionios before he signed for Tranmere Rovers in November 1999 after a loan spell.

After making 281 league appearances for the Prenton Park club he joined Doncaster in July 2006 and made 165 appearances.

Derby have moved to strengthen the left-back position after deciding not to renew Jay McEveley's contract last week.

Roberts will battle with Dean Moxey for the role. Moxey joined the Rams from Exeter City last season and made 34 appearances.

http://www.therams.co.uk/news/Roberts-set-seal-rams-deal/article-2151486-detail/article.html

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