About

Mani Roper wears the number 17 shirt for Devizes Town, patrolling the pitch as a seasoned central midfielder. Having previously turned out for Malmesbury Victoria, Shrivenham, Highworth, and Royal Wootton Bassett, Mani brings a wealth of experience to the squad, with his standout football memory being winning the Hellenic Division One playoff final away to Stonehouse as player-manager at Malmesbury. A Manchester United fan who idolises Ronaldinho, backs Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo, and names Callum Parsons as the best player he has ever played with or against, Mani’s goal for the season is to secure regular minutes in a squad packed with quality across the pitch.

Off the pitch, Mani readily admits that football completely consumes his whole life, stating he’d simply be watching the game if he weren’t playing it. His pre-match ritual consists of eggs on toast washed down with an orange fizzy Lucozade, while his post-match treat is a full-fat Coke alongside a very specific Indian feast – Chilli Paneer, Chicken Tikka Madras, pilau rice, plain naan, and three mango chutneys. Outside of matchdays, Mani enjoys watching Batman: The Dark Knight and boasts a unique sales pitch: he reckons he could sell anything to anyone!

Inside the Dressing Room

Mani points to the trio of Skins, Bakes, and Marshal as the absolute funniest characters in the Devizes changing room. He gives Jack Baker the nod as the most skilful player on the ball, but doesn’t hold back on his fashion, naming him also as the worst-dressed teammate because he “loves a bit of designer gear from the market”. Rounding off his squad verdicts, Mani calls out Danny Bowyer as the slowest to get changed post-match and refuses to let Liam Curtis anywhere near the kitchen to cook him dinner.