The 36-year-old ex-Royals striker announced last month he would be hanging up his boots after a 17-year professional career.

But Roberts has already started planning for the future and was among a group of former players and coaches who graduated from an accredited course called On Board.

The scheme is aimed at getting more ethnic minorities in key positions at football clubs and was attended by the likes of Tottenham coach Les Ferdinand and former West Brom defender Darren Moore.

“The more diverse the game is, the better it will become,” said Roberts.

“This is about recognising the lack of diversity within boardrooms in football.

“Everybody knows that a diverse board is a better performing board.

“We are empowering people to up-skill themselves and to try to find solutions to some of the issues around the lack of representation or even the lack of players who are involved in the governance of football.”

The On Board initiative has won widespread support from the Football Association and Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).

Roberts was forced to retire after a 15-month battle with a serious hip injury. He made 515 professional appearances scoring 169 goals during his career that included spells with Wolves, Bristol Rovers, West Brom, Wigan, Blackburn and finally Reading.

Roberts, a regular television pundit, will continue to work for Reading FC as a community ambassador for the remainder of his contract which runs out in the summer.

* TICKETS for Reading’s trip to Chalrton Athletic this Saturday are now on general sale. Royals have been allocated 2,096 tickets which can be purchased up until 12pm tomorrow (Friday).

Tickets are also on general sale for Reading’s trip to Wigan Athletic on Friday, April 18.