Also in 1997, Roberts made one appearance for England at under-21 level [REF].
After an injury to Mark Schwarzer, Roberts finished the ill-fated 1996/97 season as Middlesbrough's first-choice goalkeeper, notably playing in the 1997 FA Cup Final, League Cup final replay and the club's remaining Premier League games[REF] (Schwarzer was cup-tied for the FA Cup run anyway) [REF].