Robbo, at the age of just 28, has officially announced his retirement after failing to recover from summer knee surgery having made his last appearence for Swindon Town in March 2008. He made Cardiff City supporters aware in private when attending a recent Ninian Park fixture but now the news is official.
The player had a decent, but chequered career. Starting out at Cardiff City, he showed plenty of promise and potential - and I recall how he turned Man United's Wes Brown inside out when also scoring in a friendly vs Man United - but he was at the club at a time when finances were tighter than a trumpeter's bum cheeks hitting a top note, and with Robert Earnshaw also emerging, they could not afford to have both on the books.
Roberts therefore was sold to Exeter City for just £5,000 when he was 20 having scored 3 times in 6 starts for City but many more substitute appearences.
His subsequent clubs - Exeter, Bristol City and Swindon Town - all saw a player with problems as he had injury troubles and battled alcohol addiction but he also produced the goods scoring at around 1 in every 3 or 4 games .... what Cardiff City would give for a player who could produce anywhere near that at the moment!!
On a personal note, I met Christian Roberts when he was at City and we had one fantastic night when I sat next to him at a Player of the Year Awards. After he left the club, I also had the very occasional chat and drink with him as he frequented The Village Inn in Pentwyn with his lifelong friends ... where I have to say, I only ever saw him having a quiet drink and was shocked to learn of him needing rehab in later life but he's now moved on from that.
Shame to hear about any player packing it in early, especially a local boy who is a genuinely nice guy. He did well for himself but it's a pity he didn't do even better. Good Luck with his future.
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