Roofe withRangers in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kemar Roofe[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-01-06)6 January 1993 (age 32)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Walsall, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Walsall | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2011[3] | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2015 | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | (0) |
| 2011 | →Víkingur Reykjavík (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2012 | →Northampton Town (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | →Cheltenham Town (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2014 | →Colchester United (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Oxford United (loan) | 16 | (6) |
| 2015–2016 | Oxford United | 40 | (18) |
| 2016–2019 | Leeds United | 111 | (29) |
| 2019–2020 | Anderlecht | 13 | (6) |
| 2020–2024 | Rangers | 63 | (26) |
| 2025 | Derby County | 3 | (0) |
| 2025– | Walsall | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021 | Jamaica | 5 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:28, 16 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 12 November 2021 | |||
Kemar Roofe (born 6 January 1993) is a professionalfootballer who plays as aforward forWalsall. Born in England, he has represented theJamaican national team.
Roofe started his professional career in 2011 atWest Bromwich Albion but failed to make a first team appearance, during his spell there had loans atVíkingur Reykjavík,Northampton Town,Cheltenham Town,Colchester United andOxford United, Roofe would then sign for Oxford United on a permanent basis in 2015, before moving toLeeds United in 2016, after three years at Leeds, Roofe moved to Belgium in 2019 to sign forAnderlecht, before a switch to Scottish clubRangers in 2020, where he remained until his release in the summer of 2024, after being a free agent for 8 months, Roofe joinedDerby County on a short term deal in February 2025; he remained at the club during the following summer as the club assessed his injury before deciding on whether to offer him a contract. A new contract with Derby was not forthcoming and he later signed for hometown club Walsall.
Roofe was capped five times byJamaica in 2021.
Roofe started his career withWest Bromwich Albion where he played for the side's academy team, while attendingJoseph Leckie Community Technology College inWalsall. In July 2009, Roofe was among eleven academy youngsters to sign scholarships with West Brom.[4] In April 2011, he was sent out on loan to Icelandic sideVíkingur Reykjavík, where he made three appearances, scoring one goal in the Icelandic Cup againstKnattspyrnufélag Vesturbæjar.[5] In January 2012, Roofe signed his first professional contract, on an 18-month deal with an option to extend.[6]
On 27 September 2012, he joinedFootball League Two sideNorthampton Town on a one-month loan deal.[7] He made his professional debut on 29 September 2012, in a 3–3 draw withBurton Albion, coming on as a substitute forChris Hackett.[8] After making six appearances for the club, it announced that Roofe would return to his parent club on 27 October 2012.[9] Following the end of the 2012–13 season, Roofe's contract with West Brom was extended for one year.[10]
In the 2013–14 season, Roofe joinedFootball League Two sideCheltenham Town on loan until 4 January 2014.[11] He made his debut for the club, two days after joining, in a 1–1 draw againstSouthend United.[12] Roofe scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw againstHartlepool United on 14 December 2013.[13] On 9 January 2014, Roofe's loan spell with Cheltenham Town was extended for another month.[14] After making nine appearances, Roofe informed the club that he wanted to return to his parent club.[15] However, on his return, Roofe returned to the club's reserves throughout the 2013–14 season. Nevertheless, his contract with the club was extended further by twelve months.[16]
In the 2014–15 season, Roofe scored in a friendly match againstPort Vale, which West Brom lost.[17] Then, on 4 November 2014, he joinedFootball League One sideColchester United on a month's loan.[18] A week later, Roofe made his debut for the club, where he came on as a substitute forSanchez Watt in the second half, in a 3–2 loss againstBarnsley.[19] After making two appearances, Roofe's loan spell with Colchester United came to an end and he returned to West Brom.[20]
On 13 February 2015, Roofe joinedOxford United on loan fromWest Bromwich Albion.[21] Roofe made his Oxford United debut the next day, coming on as a substitute forAndy Whing in the 61st minute, in a 2–0 defeat toBurton Albion.[22] Despite his not scoring in his first five appearances, Roofe's loan spell with Oxford was extended until the end of the season.[23] Roofe then scored his first Oxford United goals, in a 3–2 win overWycombe Wanderers on 3 April 2015,[24] and he added four further goals in the last three matches againstTranmere Rovers,[25]Cambridge United[26] andNewport County.[27] His final goal tally for the season was six goals in sixteen appearances.
Weeks after the2014–15 season ended, Roofe signed a three-year permanent deal with the club on 11 May, for an undisclosed sum.[28] On 11 August 2015, he scored from 40 yards in a 0–4 League Cup upset of Championship sideBrentford.[29] On 10 January 2016, Roofe scored twice for Oxford in a 3–2 victory to knockPremier League sideSwansea City out of the FA Cup.[30][31] On 15 March 2016, Roofe scored his firsthat-trick in the 4–0 win againstDagenham & Redbridge.[32] Roofe's 4 goals in the Football League Trophy, including 2 against rivalsSwindon Town,[33] were instrumental in Oxford reaching the2016 Football League Trophy Final atWembley Stadium againstBarnsley on 3 April 2016; his cross allowedDanny Hylton to score in the second half, however Barnsley held on for a 3–2 win.[34]
In April 2016 he was voted Football League Two's Player of the Year at the Football League Awards[35] and was also named in the League TwoPFA Team Of The Year.[36] He scored 26 goals in 49 appearances in all competitions during the2015–16 season for Oxford, in which they finished second in League Two and gained promotion toLeague One.
On 7 July 2016, Roofe signed for Championship sideLeeds United on a four-year deal for an undisclosed seven-figure fee.[37] On 5 August, Roofe was given the squad number 7 shirt for the2016–17 season.[38] On 7 August, Roofe made his Leeds debut againstQueens Park Rangers in a 3–0 defeat.[39] Roofe was initially credited with his first goal for Leeds in a 1–0 win atWolverhampton Wanderers on 22 October, however it was later adjudicated to be an own goal by Wolves defenderSílvio.[40] After starting the season predominantly on the left side of midfield, after an injury to playmakerPablo Hernández on 5 November againstNorwich City, Roofe found himself playing in an attacking midfield role.[41]
On 29 November 2016, Roofe came close to scoring his first Leeds goal when he saw his long range shot smash off the inside of the post after beating goalkeeperSimon Mignolet, inEFL Cup quarter-final match againstLiverpool atAnfield in a 2–0 defeat,[42] after the match Roofe jokingly Tweeted about being under a goalscoring curse with the Hashtag #Pray4Roofe.[43] However, Roofe quickly ended the drought in the following game when he scored his first goal for Leeds United againstAston Villa in a 2–0 victory on 3 December 2016.[44] On 26 December 2016, Roofe scored his second goal for Leeds in a 4–1 victory againstPreston North End; he also provided two assists in the same game.[45]
He scored his first goals of the 2017–18 season on 22 August 2017, scoring ahat-trick in Leeds' 5–1EFL Cup victory againstNewport County, thus equalling his goal tally for the previous season for Leeds.[46] On 26 August, Roofe starting up front in place of the departedChris Wood, scored his first league goal of the season a 2–0 victory againstNottingham Forest.[47] He scored a hat-trick on 10 December in Leeds' 3–1 victory at Queens Park Rangers.[48] Roofe scored his 10th goal of the season in all competitions on 26 December in Leeds' 1–2 victory against Burton Albion.[49] After 6 weeks out with a calf injury, Roofe returned to Leeds' starting lineup on 10 April 2017, and scored his 13th goal of the season in all competitions (his 10th in the League) in a 3–1 loss against Preston North End.[50] On 16 April 2018, Roofe was nominated as one of four players for Leeds United's Player of The Year award.[51] On 6 May 2018, Roofe scored his 14th goal of the season 2–0 home victory againstQueens Park Rangers on the final day of the season. He finished the season as the club's top scorer with 14 goals, ahead ofPierre-Michel Lasogga who had scored 10.[52][53]
He scored his first goals of the 2018–19 season with a brace on 11 August in a 4–1 win overDerby County.[54][55] After continuing the month in prolific form with four goals and two assists in the first six league games of the season, Roofe was awardedChampionship Player of the Month for August 2018 by theEFL.[56]
With Roofe starting the season as the club's first choice striker ahead of new signingPatrick Bamford, after Bamford picked up aposterior cruciate ligament injury in September,[57] Roofe would be the club's only 'senior' striker available forMarcelo Bielsa. However, days after the Bamford injury, Roofe himself picked up a calf injury which would rule him out for some weeks.[57] After returning from injury, Roofe's impressive goalscoring form continued, including scoring a controversial goal againstNottingham Forest in a 1–1 draw on 27 October, with the ball seemingly going in off Roofe's hand.[58]
He was nominated for the EFL Championship Player of the Month award for December 2018,[59] having scored five goals during the month (including three over four days, all in injury time), but lost out on the award toHull City wingerJarrod Bowen.[60] He scored his 14th goal of the season (which overtook his previous seasons tally of 13) in a 2–0 win against Derby County on 11 January 2019.[61]
However, after playing through Leeds' 2–1 victory againstSwansea City on 13 February 2019, after being pictured wearing a leg brace, on 19 February it was announced by the club that Roofe had a knee ligament injury and would face a period out during Leeds' race for promotion.[62] Roofe returned as a substitute during 6 April away game toBirmingham and his appearances since then were limited to spells off the bench, with Bielsa favouring Patrick Bamford as the sole striker.
During the2018–19 season, Roofe played 34 games in all competitions, scoring 15 goals, after Leeds finished the regular season in third place, having dropped out of the automatic promotion places with three games left following a defeat to 10-manWigan Athletic on 19 April.[63] Leeds went on to qualify for the playoffs, and Roofe started the first leg of theChampionship play-offs at Pride Park on 11 May 2019, netting the sole goal of the game against sixth-placedDerby County for his 15th goal of the season.[64] He was replaced by Patrick Bamford for the second playoff leg atElland Road after picking up an injury in the second half of the match during the 1–0 win at Pride Park. With Roofe out injured, Leeds lost 4–2 in an encounter that saw both teams reduced to 10 men and Derby progress to the final againstAston Villa, having won 4–3 on aggregate.[65]
After picking up an injury in Leeds' pre-season fixture 2–1 victory againstWest Sydney Wanderers on Leeds' Australia pre-season tour, Roofe was ruled out for the start of the 2019–20 season with an ankle injury.[66][67] With Roofe in the final year of his contract, on 5 August he underwent a medical at Belgian sideAnderlecht ahead of a proposed move to the club managed by player-managerVincent Kompany.[68] Ahead of the move, Bielsa proclaimed he "can't be happy" if Roofe leaves.[69]
Roofe joinedAnderlecht for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £7 million, on 6 August 2019.[70][71] In his opening seven games in the Belgian league, Roofe scored five times, including an 81st-minute winner atZulte Waregem. Anderlecht had a slow start to the season and by the end of October were in 10th position.[72] In the last months of 2019, Roofe scored a number of goals, with five of them leading to Anderlecht winning or drawing over a six-week period. Losing only one of seven league games during this period, Anderlecht remained in 10th place in the league.[citation needed]
On 4 August 2020, Roofe signed forRangers, on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £4.5 million.[73][74] He made his Rangers debut just over a week later on 12 August, in aScottish Premiership match againstSt Johnstone atIbrox Stadium, as a 61st-minute substitute forRyan Jack.[75] On 22 August 2020, Roofe scored his first goal for the club in a league againstKilmarnock, netting the first in a 2–0 win.[76] On 22 October 2020, Roofe scored from his own half in stoppage time of the club's 2–0UEFA Europa League group stage away win atStandard Liège. Roofe's shot was measured at 49.9 meters from the opposite goal line which at the time made it the longest-range goal ever scored in the history of the competition;[77][78] however, the record was broken a week later byOmonia midfielderJordi Gómez, who scored a goal from 56 meters.[79]
On 18 March 2021, Roofe was sent off after six minutes during theEuropa League match againstSlavia Prague.[80] After a reckless tackle by Roofe, goalkeeperOndřej Kolář suffered a fractured skull.[81][82] Former Slavia player and Czech internationalVladimír Šmicer called the tackle a "life-threatening moment".[83] Roofe was banned for four games.[84] He finished the 2020–21 season asjoint second-highest goalscorer (withKevin Nisbet) in the league on 14 goals.
In the 2022–23 season, after 10 weeks out through injury, Roofe was named as an unused sub in the Ibrox New Year's Old Firm derby[85] and returned to first team action atTannadice Park on 8 January 2023 as a 78th minute substitute at forMalik Tillman in the visitors' 2–0 victory.[86] His 94th-minute winner againstAberdeen in theLeague Cup semi-final, again as a late second-half substitute, saw Rangers go through as 2–1 winners to meet eventual winnersCeltic in the final, with Roofe having to leave the field before the end of added time due to a shoulder injury.[87][88] Roofe left Rangers in June 2024 upon expiry of his contract, he played 102 times for the club, scoring 38 times.
After eight months as a free agent, Roofe joinedDerby County of the Championship on a contract until the end of the2024–25 season.[89] On 22 February 2025, Roofe made his debut for Derby County as a stoppage time substitute forDavid Ozoh in a 0–1 defeat toMillwall.[90] A hamstring injury picked up in March restricted his appearances for Derby, as he made just three appearances for the club as a late substitute, totaling around 10 minutes in game time.[91] He remained at the club during the following summer as the club assessed his injury before deciding on whether to offer him a contract.[92]
On 14 November 2025, Roofe signed for his hometown clubWalsall on a short-term contract that would initially last until the following January.[93]
Roofe was eligible to represent theEngland andJamaica national sides, the latter because of hisJamaican heritage.[94]
In June 2019, Roofe received an invitation to play for the Jamaica national side for theCONCACAF Gold Cup in July 2019.[95]
In March 2021, Jamaica again approached Roofe for inclusion in the team's squad for the2022 World Cup qualifiers.[96] This time Roofe expressed his interest, stating "who wouldn't want to go to a World Cup?" and revealing he was already in the process of applying for a Jamaican passport in order to play for the nation.[97] He debuted with Jamaica in a 3–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification loss toPanama on 5 September 2021.[98] The next month, on 13 October, Roofe scored his first goal for Jamaica, netting the opener againstHonduras in an eventual 2–0 victory.[99]
Roofe is the cousin ofR&B andpop singerJorja Smith.[100] He also helps his brother, Alex, design and make garments for their clothing range, Custom Rare.[101]
In August 2019, Roofe was one of the main stars ofLeeds United documentaryTake Us Home, documenting the2018–19 season onAmazon Prime featuring in several episodes. The documentary was narrated byAcademy Award winning actor and Leeds United fanRussell Crowe.[102][103][104][105]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2011–12[106] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13[107] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14[108] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2014–15[109] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Víkingur Reykjavík (loan) | 2011[110] | Úrvalsdeild | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | |||
| Northampton Town (loan) | 2012–13[107] | League Two | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Cheltenham Town (loan) | 2013–14[108] | League Two | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| Colchester United (loan) | 2014–15[109] | League One | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Oxford United (loan) | 2014–15[109] | League Two | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 | |
| Oxford United | 2015–16[111] | League Two | 40 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 3[c] | 4 | 48 | 26 | |
| Leeds United | 2016–17[112] | Championship | 42 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 49 | 3 | ||
| 2017–18[113] | Championship | 36 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 39 | 14 | |||
| 2018–19[114] | Championship | 33 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[d] | 1 | 35 | 16 | ||
| Total | 111 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 123 | 33 | ||
| Anderlecht | 2019–20[115] | Belgian First Division A | 13 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 16 | 7 | |||
| Rangers | 2020–21[116] | Scottish Premiership | 24 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8[e] | 2 | — | 36 | 18 | |
| 2021–22[117] | Scottish Premiership | 21 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9[e] | 2 | — | 36 | 16 | ||
| 2022–23[118] | Scottish Premiership | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24[119] | Scottish Premiership | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5[e] | 1 | — | 24 | 2 | ||
| Total | 63 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 102 | 38 | ||
| Derby County | 2024–25[120] | Championship | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 264 | 86 | 20 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 329 | 112 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica | 2021 | 5 | 1 |
| Total | 5 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 October 2021 | Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano,San Pedro Sula, Honduras | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Oxford United
Rangers
Individual