Reading Football Club

Born in Reading, Roach began as an apprentice at Elm Park before turning professional in 1996.

His league debut came in a 2-0 triumph over Oldham Athletic where he opened the scoring in the 28^th minute. 

Amidst loan spells with Kingstonian and Slough Town, he only made 23 appearances in blue and white hoops, and only one start at Madejski Stadium – a 2-1 win over Lincoln City in November 1998, goals coming from Neil Clement and Mass Sarr that afternoon.

A month later, the forward was told he could leave by Tommy Burns and after signing for Southend, he slid into non-league football, playing the majority of his games with Basingstoke Town.

He tallied up 141 appearances for the Dragons in the space of two different spells, one in 2002 then again for a short stint in 2006.

Basingstoke was the only club that he really spent a lot of time with, making a lot of loan moves to various sides in and around League Two.

In total, Roach switched teams a confounding 25 times in his career, with his last move being to a Combined Counties League club in the shape of Hartley Wintney.

He vacated his position as manager there in 2013 to become part of the coaching set-up at Highmoor Ibis, aged 35.