{{Short description|English footballer (born 1953)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Use British English|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Roger Verdi |image = |image_size = |caption = |fullname = Rajinder Singh Virdee |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|2|4|df=y}} |birth_place = Nairobi, Kenya |height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}<ref name=auto>{{cite web |title=Roger Verdi| website=nasljerseys.com | url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/V/Verdi.Roger.htm| access-date=23 July 2023}}</ref> |position = Defender |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = Wolverhampton Wanderers |youthyears2 = |youthclubs2 = Ipswich Town |years1 = 1972 |clubs1 = Vancouver Spartans |caps1 = 25 |goals1 = 1 |years2 = 1972–1973 |clubs2 = Montreal Olympique |caps2 = 25 |goals2 = 1 |years3 = 1974 |clubs3 = Miami Toros |caps3 = 10 |goals3 = 0 |years4 = 1975–1977 |clubs4 = St. Louis Stars |caps34 = 59 |goals4 = 0 |years5 = 1978 |clubs5 = San Jose Earthquakes |caps5 = 9 |goals5 = 0 |years6 = 1979 |clubs6 = Cleveland Cobras |caps6 = |goals6 = |years7 = 1979 |clubs7 = Columbus Magic |caps7 = |goals7 = |years8 = 1980 |clubs8 = Phoenix Fire |caps8 = 0 |goals8 = 0 |years9 = 1980–1981 |clubs9 = Phoenix Inferno |caps9 = 38 |goals9 = 2 |totalcaps = 141+ |totalgoals = 3+ }} '''Roger Verdi''' (born '''Rajinder Singh Virdee''' on 4 February 1953) is an English retired professional footballer who spent his entire career in North America, making over 100 league appearances in the North American Soccer League.
==Early life== Verdi was born on 4 February 1953,<ref name="auto"/><ref>1977 St. Louis Stars (NASL) media guide</ref> as '''Rajinder Singh Virdee''' in Nairobi, Kenya, to Indian Sikh parents.<ref name = "IndianFootball">{{cite web|url=http://www.indianfootball.com/features/interview/interview50.html|title=Interview with Roger Verdi|accessdate=6 May 2009|date=June 2007|author=Harmit Singh Kamboe|publisher=IndianFootball.com}}</ref> He was the youngest of their two sons.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47763294|title=Roger Verdi: Marking Pele and playing darts with George Best|date=3 April 2019|publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref> The family moved to England when Verdi was aged seven, settling in Smethwick.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> He attended Sandwell Boys school.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/>
Verdi changed his name due to racism.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> He went by 'Roger Jones' and 'Roger Jones Verdi' before settling on 'Roger Verdi'.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/>
==Career== ===England=== Verdi played with the youth teams of both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town,<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> but failing to get a professional contract with either team, moved to North America.<ref name = "IndianExpress">{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/30606/|title=He played against Pele, Best, Banks, now he wants to coach here|accessdate=6 May 2009|author=Shamya Dasgupta|date=31 August 2003|publisher=IndianExpress.com}}</ref>
===North America=== Verdi began his career in Canada with the Vancouver Spartans.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/>
Verdi played in the NASL between 1972 and 1978 for the Montreal Olympique, Miami Toros, St. Louis Stars and San Jose Earthquakes, making a total of 103 league appearances.<ref name="auto"/> He later played in the ASL for the Cleveland Cobras, Columbus Magic, and the Phoenix Fire, and in the MISL for Phoenix Inferno.<ref name="auto"/>
===Coaching career=== After his playing career ended he moved into coaching, holding assistant coaching positions with Athlone Town FC, Stockport County, Phoenix Inferno and Cleveland Cobras. Other coaching positions include Co-director for Hubert Vogelsinger Soccer Academy in Texas, Connecticut and California and has been the Technical Director for youth clubs in Washington, New Mexico. He joined DFW Tornados as a coach in 2010.<ref name="DFW Tornados">{{cite web|url=http://www.dfwtornados.org/coaches/coach_roger_verdi.htm|title=DFW Tornados Coaches|accessdate=31 March 2011|author=DFW Tornados|publisher=www.dfwtornados.org|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306011413/http://www.dfwtornados.org/coaches/coach_roger_verdi.htm|archivedate=6 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
He is also the owner of the Roger Verdi International Soccer Academy.<ref name = "DFW Tornados"/>
==Later life== Verdi retired to Dallas, Texas, working in construction.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/>
== See also ==
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verdi, Roger}} Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Nairobi Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:English expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Category:English expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Canada Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players Category:Montreal Olympique players Category:Miami Toros players Category:St. Louis Stars (soccer) players Category:San Jose Earthquakes (1974–1988) players Category:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players Category:Ipswich Town F.C. players Category:Cleveland Cobras players Category:Columbus Magic players Category:Phoenix Inferno players Category:American Soccer League (1933–1983) players Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players Category:Phoenix Fire (soccer) players Category:Kenyan people of Indian descent Category:Kenyan emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:British people of Indian descent
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