LEGENDS QUICK SIX
1. Who was your biggest footballing inspiration whilst growing up? The likes of Kevin Keegan and any player from the Leeds United 1970s squad 2. Which team did you support growing up? Leeds United was always my boyhood team
Roger was born in Bradford in 1965 and with Roger Eli began his football career at Leeds United in 1983. He made two appearances for the Whites before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1986. Various moves followed before Roger finally settled at Burnley in 1989 where he made 99 appearances scoring 20 goals.
Roger playing for Burnley
3. As a player what is your favourite memory? Quite a few but one that really sticks in my mind was being a youth player at Nottingham Forest and playing in a tournament over in Italy and having the legendary Brian Clough shouting over to me after I had turned a defender inside out. “Well done Chalkie” with his trade mark thumbs up. Scoring my first and only hatrick at turf moor was also very special to me.
4. Did you have a nick name growing up as a player? Quite a few really,at Leeds I was known as shaft to a few of the senior players. At Wolverhampton Wanderers “The Pink Panther”due to the length of my legs,and at Burnley “Klinsmann” due to the fact I knew how to win the odd free kick and penalty. 5. Who was your favourite player? As a player I had a few,there are far too many to mention 6. If you could offer advice to any youngster looking to make in the game what would it be? In today’s football and how clubs set up their recruitment policy it is important that they keep a level head and not to believe that just because they are with a club that they are going to be footballers. Even from an early age they should train hard on fitness and technique listen to the information from the coaches, eat and drink healthy and never forget their school education.
15