Darryl Roberts, the all-time leading scorer in Liberty men’s soccer history, has signed an 18 month contract with Sparta Rotterdam FC, the oldest professional soccer program in Holland, as announced by MLF Sports today.
Roberts is fresh off competition with the Trinidad and Tobago national team at the 2007 Digicel Caribbean Cup this past January. The striker will join Sparta Rotterdam FC of the Division I Dutch Soccer league later this month in the Netherlands.
“I'm ecstatic for Darryl and his family,” stated Liberty Head Men’s Soccer Coach Jeff Alder. “He has prepared for this opportunity diligently the last five years and I'm thrilled that he has been rewarded for all of his efforts.”
As a youth player in Trinidad, Roberts played with the Malta Carib Alcons Soccer Academy under Coach Alvin Corneal. Roberts played all five matches for the Trinidad and Tobago national team in the 2007 Digicel Cup where he scored in the game against Martinique. He has earned a total of seven national caps and is currently traveling with the national team to Costa Rica for a friendly match on Sunday. He is expected to report to Sparta Rotterdam in mid-February according to his agent, Heather MacKenzie, of MLF Sports.
Besides his playing days at Liberty and with the Trinidad and Tobago national team, Roberts played three seasons with the Carolina Dynamo, a Premier Development League team, in Greensboro, N.C.
“He is an outstanding player with that ‘WOW’ factor when he has the ball at his feet, but more importantly he is a great human being who will be a great role model for young players,” continued Alder. “It is also a great day for Liberty University and our men's soccer program as his family entrusted us to play a part in his development as a player and a person for the last five years. I feel we were able to do our part during our time together.”
Roberts became Liberty’s all-time leading scorer in his final season as a Flame this fall. The forward scored four goals and assisted on three others in 10 contests during his final campaign with the Flames, helping finish his days at Liberty with 94 career points, which eclipsed James Wright’s mark of 89 (1992-94).
The Trincity, Trinidad native was also selected to his second All-South Atlantic Region team with his selection to the third team as a senior. Roberts was named to the second team as freshman in 2002. In addition, he was named to his third Big South all-conference second team to go along with a first-team selection in 2002. In 2002, Roberts was selected a Freshman All-America after scoring a nation-high 17 goals.