“Iwan is a Welshman …” (as the Kop song, has it), indeed. Watford enticed him to join them from school precisely bacause they had a Welsh speaking coach in Tom Walley, while Iwan has remained in demand for media work in his native tongue as one of very few contemporary internationals able so to converse. Initially developing as a gangling teenage striker at Vicarage Road, Iwan memorably scored the first of his dozen goals for The Hornets as a substitute against Manchester United, and won his first cap against Holland in 1989.
Further national call ups, though, were delayed until he’s settled as a Terriers regular following a £275.000 move (Huddersfield’s record outlay) at the time, Iwan’s decent strike rate brought him to Brian Little’s attention, but it took months of rumour and misfiring City experiment to play without a target man following Steve Walsh’s inury before £300.000 landed him at Filbert Streeet.
Iwan’s fine two goal debut rescued a home point, and his goal every two games ratio was soon ledning credibility and substance to City’s promotion dirve. A 12 minute hat-trick in a 3-3 draw against Derby sealed his place in City folklore (and song!) and both his shooting and heading power recommended that Little should gamble on his return from inury to share the sharp end of the hat-trick against the Rams at Wembley.
Iwan made less impact during the following Premiership season, with his first touch too often letting him down, but always a willing workhorse, still ended up as top scorer for the second term running.
Iwan left Leicester in 1996, moving to Wolves for £1.3million. He had a good goal ratio at Leicester and kept it almost to a goal in every second game, playing 100 league games and scoring 41 goals.
A year later he was on the move again this time to Norwich, this time of a a fee of £850.000, spending a long time at Carrow Road, adding up 278 league games and scoring 84 goals. His career ended at Gillingham being there for a year, he retired in 2005.
FACTFILE:
- Full Name: Iwan Wyn Roberts
- Position: Forward
- Date of Birth: 26.06.1968
- Birthplace: Bangor
- Nation: Wales
- Caps / Goals: 15/0
- Major League Career:
- 1986-90, Watford (77(10)
- 1990-93, Huddersfield Town (142/50)
- 1993-96, Leicester City (100/41)
- 1996-97, Wolverhampton Wanderers (33/12)
- 1997-04, Norwich City (278/84)
- 2004-05, Gillingham (11/3)
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