FC Halifax Town: Roberts returns to scene of his best career moment

The Town defender has been in two Cambridge squads that have played at the national stadium - but played only once.

Roberts was in the starting eleven when they beat Gateshead 2-1 in the 2014 Conference play-off final, a day which he says culminated in the high point of his career when he climbed the steps at Wembley to lift the trophy.

But that was two months after Cambridge had thrashed Gosport Borough 4-0 in the FA Trophy final, also at Wembley, when Roberts was an unused substitute in that game - a decision which took the shine off the occasion for the full-back.

He recalled: “I was annoyed about the FA Trophy though because I’d played every minute up until then so that was a bad day for me, even though we won.

“I remember the play-off final more because I played in that one!

“The atmosphere was very good. We had the most fans for both games so our end was packed and I think it was pretty full most of the way round.

“I was fortunate enough to lift the trophy in the play-off final, which was probably the best moment of my career.

“That was a good day.”

Roberts says the national stadium can be a deceptively confined space once the players are inside.

“Wembley is a big place but it’s quite claustrophobic. It closes in you,” he said.

“The steps are quite steep so when you’re in there you feel a bit like a gladiator in the Colosseum.

“It’s a brilliant ground. It’s breathtaking.

“But when you go in the ground on the bus you go underground and that’s quite an exciting moment.

“The changing rooms are the size of a football pitch as well.”

Grimsby were promoted to League Two last weekend when they beat Forest Green in the National League play-off final, but Roberts says Halifax can overcome The Mariners by showing more desire and passion.

He added: “They’re obviously a good team - they beat us 7-0 but then we proved we’re a good team by turning them over at our place.

“We’ve had two very different performances against them but with them winning on Sunday, hopefully they’ve been on the booze all week.

“We’ve got to work harder than them but it’s probably going to be a hot day so it’s going to be tough for both teams.

“We need to be more passionate than them, which we should be considering we’ve had a bad season.”