No doubt about it, Darryl Roberts is in love. He’s so in love, he doesn’t hesitate to let you know it.
Taking the ultimate step
Talking to Roberts was so refreshing. It’s not often that men openly talk about their significant other, let alone their marriage. Roberts is different. Married in Trinidad on June 28 this year, he still has that “newly-wed glow.”
“Right now I’m married and I’m so happy,” he revealed.
Currently signed with Denizlispor, in the Turkcell Super League in Turkey, Roberts, who is “working on his Turkish,” admits that it’s difficult living away from home.
“Turkey is very quiet and the people are nice, but it gets a little hard sometimes. However, I’m very happy. I would never turn back on the decision I made to get married. Although I’m on the road most of the times, I love my wife to death. I have absolutely no regrets.”
Roberts said his wife, who he described as his biggest supporter, has gotten accustomed to his hectic lifestyle.
With a laugh, he said: “She stayed with me a bit when I lived in Holland, so she has gotten used to it. She has a dog now, so she has company.”
And the 25-year-old is wasting no time. Starting a family is already on his mind.
“I’m hoping for two kids. But she says she wants four or five.”
What does he do in his spare time? You guessed it!
He spends quality time with his wife.
“I try to spend as much time with my wife as I can. I take her out to dinner or just do small things to keep the relationship going.”
His other love
Born and bred in Tunapuna, Roberts always had a passion for football. A young, wide-eyed Roberts would always accompany his father to games and would look on with keen interest as the “older folks” played.
“My dad used to play and I used to go everywhere with him,” he said.
“I remember when he wanted to leave me home, I would start to cry. I just wanted to be around the football.”
The former Sparta Rotterdam (in Holland) player began his football career playing for the Alvin Corneal Coaching School in Trinidad. He was just eight years old.
Now, just a quarter of a century, Roberts already has an impressive string of accomplishments under his belt.
As a junior, he represented El Dorado Secondary for three years in the Secondary School Football League, before transferring to Fatima College, where he played Senior Division football.
During his freshman year at Liberty University, he was a Soccer America and College Soccer News Freshman All-American and was named Big South Freshman of the Year.
Roberts made his debut for the Soca Warriors in a January 2007 Concacaf Gold Cup qualifying match against Barbados. He turned things up a notch when he scored his first international goal against Martinique in the 2007 Digicel Cup last January.
His most recent goal came against Bermuda on June 22, in a 2010 Fifa World Cup Qualifier.
Education is the key
While admitting that he was “not all that bright” in school, Roberts graduated from Liberty University with a Business Management degree.
“It was very important for me and my parents to have a sound education. My both parents are teachers, so they wanted me to have something to fall back on.
“I was always really good at math but my sister was the bright one,” he said.