Roger Verdi

{{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}}{{cite web |title=Roger Verdi|

website=nasljerseys.com | url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/V/Verdi.Roger.htm| access-date=23 July 2023}}

|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 1953,1977 St. Louis Stars (NASL) media guide as Rajinder Singh Virdee in Nairobi, Kenya, to Indian Sikh parents.{{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}} He was the youngest of their two sons.{{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}} The family moved to England when Verdi was aged seven, settling in Smethwick. He attended Sandwell Boys school.

Verdi changed his name due to racism. He went by 'Roger Jones' and 'Roger Jones Verdi' before settling on 'Roger Verdi'.

Career

=England=

Verdi played with the youth teams of both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town, but failing to get a professional contract with either team, moved to North America.{{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}}

=North America=

Verdi began his career in Canada with the Vancouver Spartans.

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. He later played in the ASL for the Cleveland Cobras, Columbus Magic, and the Phoenix Fire, and in the MISL for Phoenix Inferno.

=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.{{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}}

He is also the owner of the Roger Verdi International Soccer Academy.