https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Roger_VerdiRoger Verdi - Revision history2026-08-18T00:36:49ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roger_Verdi&diff=431923&oldid=prevSamareshadak689: Created page with '{{Infobox Football biography | playername = Roger Verdi | image = | fullname = Rajinder Singh Birdi | dateofbirth = | ...'2023-07-23T19:42:05Z<p>Created page with '{{Infobox Football biography | playername = Roger Verdi | image = | fullname = Rajinder Singh Birdi | dateofbirth = | ...'</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|English footballer (born 1953)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates}}<br />
{{Use British English}}<br />
{{Infobox football biography<br />
|name = Roger Verdi<br />
|image =<br />
|image_size = <br />
|caption = <br />
|fullname = Rajinder Singh Virdee<br />
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|2|4|df=y}}<br />
|birth_place = [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya]]<br />
|height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}<ref name=auto>{{cite web |title=Roger Verdi|<br />
website=nasljerseys.com | date=4 February 1953 | url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/V/Verdi.Roger.htm | language=la | access-date=23 July 2023}}</ref><br />
|position = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]<br />
|youthyears1 = <br />
|youthclubs1 = [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]]<br />
|youthyears2 = <br />
|youthclubs2 = [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]]<br />
|years1 = 1972<br />
|clubs1 = [[Vancouver Spartans]]<br />
|caps1 = 25<br />
|goals1 = 1<br />
|years2 = 1972–1973<br />
|clubs2 = [[Montreal Olympique]]<br />
|caps2 = 25<br />
|goals2 = 1<br />
|years3 = 1974<br />
|clubs3 = [[Miami Toros]]<br />
|caps3 = 10<br />
|goals3 = 0<br />
|years4 = 1975–1977<br />
|clubs4 = [[St. Louis Stars (soccer)|St. Louis Stars]]<br />
|caps34 = 59<br />
|goals4 = 0<br />
|years5 = 1978<br />
|clubs5 = [[San Jose Earthquakes (1974–88)|San Jose Earthquakes]]<br />
|caps5 = 9<br />
|goals5 = 0<br />
|years6 = 1979<br />
|clubs6 = [[Cleveland Cobras]]<br />
|caps6 = <br />
|goals6 = <br />
|years7 = 1979<br />
|clubs7 = [[Columbus Magic]]<br />
|caps7 = <br />
|goals7 = <br />
|years8 = 1980<br />
|clubs8 = [[Phoenix Fire (soccer)|Phoenix Fire]]<br />
|caps8 = 0<br />
|goals8 = 0<br />
|years9 = 1980–1981<br />
|clubs9 = [[Phoenix Inferno]]<br />
|caps9 = 38<br />
|goals9 = 2<br />
|totalcaps = 141+<br />
|totalgoals = 3+<br />
}}<br />
'''Roger Verdi''' (born '''Rajinder Singh Virdee''' on 4 February 1953) is an English retired professional [[association football|footballer]] who spent his entire career in North America, making over 100 league appearances in the [[North American Soccer League (1968-1984)|North American Soccer League]].<br />
<br />
==Early life==<br />
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"/><br />
<br />
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"/><br />
<br />
==Career==<br />
===England===<br />
Verdi played with the youth teams of both [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] and [[Ipswich Town F.C.|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><br />
<br />
===North America===<br />
Verdi began his career in Canada with the [[Vancouver Spartans]].<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/><br />
<br />
Verdi played in the [[North American Soccer League (1968-1984)|NASL]] between 1972 and 1978 for the [[Montreal Olympique]], [[Miami Toros]], [[St. Louis Stars (NASL)|St. Louis Stars]] and [[San Jose Earthquakes (NASL)|San Jose Earthquakes]], making a total of 103 league appearances.<ref name="auto"/> He later played in the [[American Soccer League (1933–1983)|ASL]] for the [[Cleveland Cobras]], [[Columbus Magic]], and the [[Phoenix Fire (soccer)|Phoenix Fire]], and in the [[Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992)|MISL]] for [[Phoenix Inferno]].<ref name="auto"/><br />
<br />
===Coaching career===<br />
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><br />
<br />
He is also the owner of the Roger Verdi International Soccer Academy.<ref name = "DFW Tornados"/><br />
<br />
==Later life==<br />
Verdi retired to [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], working in construction.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/><br />
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== See also ==<br />
<br />
* [[List of Sikh footballers]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Verdi, Roger}}<br />
[[Category:1953 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Footballers from Nairobi]]<br />
[[Category:English people of Punjabi descent]]<br />
[[Category:British sportspeople of Indian descent]]<br />
[[Category:British Asian footballers]]<br />
[[Category:English men's footballers]]<br />
[[Category:English expatriate men's footballers]]<br />
[[Category:Kenyan people of Indian descent]]<br />
[[Category:Kenyan emigrants to the United Kingdom]]<br />
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]]<br />
[[Category:Montreal Olympique players]]<br />
[[Category:Miami Toros players]]<br />
[[Category:St. Louis Stars (soccer) players]]<br />
[[Category:San Jose Earthquakes (1974–1988) players]]<br />
[[Category:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players]]<br />
[[Category:Ipswich Town F.C. players]]<br />
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada]]<br />
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]<br />
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]<br />
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Canada]]<br />
[[Category:Cleveland Cobras players]]<br />
[[Category:Columbus Magic players]]<br />
[[Category:Phoenix Inferno players]]<br />
[[Category:American Soccer League (1933–1983) players]]<br />
[[Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players]]<br />
[[Category:Phoenix Fire (soccer) players]]<br />
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