Former Wigan striker Jason Roberts has received an MBE for his work encouraging young people in Britain and the Caribbean to play football.
The Jason Roberts Foundation was formed in 2007 to provide opportunities for young people to take part in sporting and cultural activities and to participate in learning programmes enhancing educational achievement.
Roberts bagged 37 goals in 93 games for the Latics and helped them to achieve promotion from the Championship in the 2004/2005 campaign. He went on to score Wigan’s first goal in the Premiership from the penalty spot against Sunderland the following season and steer the Latics to mid-table safety.
He is perhaps best known for his winning goal in the 2005/2006 Carling Cup semi-final second leg, which sealed his team a place in the final of the competition for the very first time. The following season, he signed for Blackburn in a £3million deal, and has since gone on to score seventeen goals in 86 appearances for the Lancashire side. He came on as a sub in Saturday’s match against his old club, whereupon he received a polite round of applause from the Wigan crowd.
Roberts, now 31, has also had successful spells at Bristol Rovers and West Brom in a career spanning almost fifteen years and nine clubs. He has also played 22 games for Grenada, during which he has scored 12 goals.
It’s his charity work, however, for which he’s been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s honours list. In this vid, J-Rob and members of the Liverpool Legends team talk a bit about the Jason Roberts Foundation and play in a charity match in Grenada.
*Statistics correct as of 31/12/09.