| William Roberts | |
| Fullname: | William Roberts |
| Birth Date: | 1863 |
| Birth Place: | Rhyl, Wales |
| Death Date: | Not known |
| Position: | Forward |
| Years1: | 1880–1885 |
| Clubs1: | Rhyl |
| Years2: | 1885–1891 |
| Clubs2: | Manchester Welsh |
| Nationalyears1: | 1883 |
| Nationalteam1: | Wales |
| Nationalcaps1: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
William Roberts (born 1863) was a Welsh footballer who played as a forward in the 1880s and made one appearance for Wales.
Roberts was born in Rhyl in north-east Wales and started his football career at his local club.[1] At Rhyl, he was a "good dribbler and very tricky" who "combined well with his colleagues". He was an opportunistic player who excelled at "individual runs".[1] As team captain, he helped Rhyl reach the final of the Northern Welsh F.A. in 1883.[1]
His solitary international appearance came at the Kennington Oval against England on 3 February 1883 when he was a late replacement for Thomas Britten, thus becoming the first international player from Rhyl.[1] His international appearance was not a success as the match finished 5–0 in favour of the home country[2] with three goals from Clement Mitchell.[3] Roberts' performance was criticised for his lack of experience: "He may play fairly well for his own club but cannot be said to have been a success against England".[1]
A butcher by trade, Roberts moved to Manchester in 1885, where he turned out for the local Welsh expatriate side.[1]