Morgan Rogers, Emery’s gangster who has protected Aston Villa

Morgan Rogers will take a long time to forget everything he has experienced in recent weeks. On November 14, he made his debut for England as a reward for the extraordinary start to the season he is having at Aston Villa, and, back in Birmingham, he has renewed his contract until 2030.

“His commitment to Aston Villa is obvious because he is from Birmingham. We are trying to push him. He is a talented player and that is the most important thing,” Emery admitted a few weeks ago.

The commitment he has to Aston Villa is evident because he is from Birmingham

Unai Emery, Aston Villa manager

Trained at Manchester City’s academy, he had to dig deep to be able to imitate his friend Cole Palmer’s celebration in the Premier League. “He’s one of my best friends, not just in football, but in life in general. But it’s my celebration. Check the timeline,” Rogers himself confessed a few weeks ago.

He went on several loan spells in the Championship  (English Second Division) to Lincoln City, Bournemouth, and Blackpool… until, finally, he was transferred for one million euros to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2023. Just six months later, and after guiding ‘Boro’ to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, Aston Villa put nearly 10 ‘kilos’ on the table to make him a ‘villain’.

Everything seemed to indicate that he would become another element of the rotation. He did not play a single minute in the first three games since his signing. But, with 12 starts in 16 games last season and a full 15 so far this year, he has ended up settling into Unai Emery’s eleven, who has found in him the perfect element to act as a link in the double forward of his classic 4-4-2 alongside Ollie Watkins.

“Having the manager’s trust is the most important thing. Emery gave me the opportunity to develop, to shine… and now I’m settled in the starting eleven ,” said Rogers while on assignment with England.

His mobility, intelligence, and power to launch transitions fit like a glove in the aggressive, intense, and vertical style of Aston Villa where he has become a fundamental part of the team. “It’s no surprise. When we started to follow him at Middlesbrough we saw some characteristics that suggested this development. He fits perfectly into our structure,” said Emery a few months ago. 

His numbers speak for themselves. In addition to having scored six goals this season, he is the player on the team with the highest number of progressive passes received (76), attempted dribbles (68), progressive dribbles (43), and penalty kicks (19).

Not long ago, Jack Grealish was considered the Tommy Shelby of Birmingham. What we didn’t know was that raised in the West Midlands county itself, Aston Villa were going to find their new gangster in Morgan Rogers. “Home is where the heart is,” he wrote on social media.