Take your time!

From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Tuesday 10th Jan 2006.

IFFY Onuora hopes that welcoming back a fully-recovered Christian Roberts will be like signing a new player.

Roberts publicly confessed to an alcoholism problem yesterday and will spend a residential period at the Sporting Chance Clinic in a bid to overcome his demons.

Onuora and the powers that be at the County Ground have vowed to stand by the 26-year-old Welshman.

The manager insists he will give Roberts, pictured right, as much time as he needs to convalesce.

Onuora hopes that he will be rewarded by the return of the pacy forward the club signed from Bristol City in his former glory.

"We want him to come back as a new player," he said.

"That's what we're hoping for.

"We don't want to get trapped in that vicious cycle again where we bring him back too early and he has further fitness problems.

"He's got a problem but we'll stand by him and hopefully he'll make a full recovery and realise his full potential.

"Respect to Christian for facing up to it publicly."

Onuora has been aware of Roberts' addiction for a while, but the news came as a shock to many of his teammates at the training ground yesterday.

The Town boss said: "Myself and a few others were aware of it before but we spoke to everyone else in training and a lot of them had no idea about it."

Roberts will begin his stint at the Sporting Chance Clinic in Hampshire next week.

How long that period lasts depends on his response to the treatment.

Onuora added: "I've spoken to the people at the clinic and they will keep me informed about his progress.

"I would have liked him to go in straight away but he'll start next week.

"We'll take it from there, we can't put a time scale on it in terms of him getting back playing football.

"Christian Roberts the person is the most important thing in this, not Christian Roberts the footballer."