Thomas Roberts: Who is the American midfielder currently on trial with Hibs?

Hibs have taken American midfielder Thomas Roberts on trial so Jack Ross can run the rule over the 19-year-old at East Mains.

Thomas Roberts, inset, will begin a trial spell with Hibs after completing a period of quarantine

Who is he?

Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, Roberts and his family moved to Texas when he was 12 so he could follow his footballing dreams. He joined the FC Dallas youth system and has often played above his age grade.

The versatile player primarily operates as a No.10 or a box-to-box midfielder but in his short career he has operated in every midfield position and played one game as a centre-forward.

He will undergo a period of quarantine before geting a chance to impress Jack Ross and the Hibs coaching staff.

Who has he played for?

Despite his tender years Roberts has already made seven appearances for FC Dallas, featuring in MLS matches against Colorado Rapids, Philadelphia Union, New York Red Bulls, Vancouver Whitecaps, Seattle Sounders, and San Jose Earthquakes.

He also made an appearance off the bench in a US Open Cup tie against New Mexico United.

To date he has played most of his football with the club’s second-string team, North Texas SC, who compete at the third level of football in America, the USL1. Roberts has had 23 outings for Eric Quill’s team, scoring three and registering one assist, and helped North Texas win the USL League One Championship and Regular Season Title in 2019.

His performances at youth level for the Frisco-based outfit prompted Bayern Munich to run the rule over Roberts and team-mate Chris Richards in 2018 as part of the elite development partnership between the two teams.

Strong roots

Other notable players to have spent time in the FC Dallas academy include USA and Schalke midfielder Weston McKennie, currently on loan at Juventus; Argentina international defender Ramiro Funes Mori, who has represented River Plate, Everton, and Villarreal, and Chris Richards, who has made three appearances for Bayern Munich since joining the club’s reserve ranks in 2019.

National recognition

Roberts has been capped by his country at Under-16, Under-18, and Under-20 level.

What others have said

Oscar Pareja, who coached Roberts, believes the midfielder has the potential to represent the USA national team. Speaking to the club’s website he said: “Thomas is a very technical player, very smart.

"He dominates very well in the position underneath the forward but has also been working in the Academy as a midfielder. [With] his technique and the way he sees the game, he can potentially, someday, be a national team player.”

Club president Dan Hunt added: “The thing about Thomas that is so unique is his skillset to break lines and be a risk taker. He can totally seize a game in just a moment, and I think that’s a special characteristic.”

What Roberts has said

Roberts is confident in his ability but keen to improve. He said in 2018: “I feel like I’m really smooth on the ball. I try to do a lot of fancy passes and get on the goal sheet, but I think the best thing about me is my passing ability.

“I have to get better at 1v1 duels and I need to get stronger too, but that will come over time. The defensive aspect of the game is the next step.”

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