Middlesbrough view given on '£90m' Aston Villa star - 'I am absolutely shocked' | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough Fan Pundit believes that Morgan Rogers' rise to being such a star in the Premier League is a 'shock'.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Following the frustrating departure of Rob Edwards to Wolverhampton Wanderers during the November international break, who had signed a three-year contract with Middlesbrough in the summer, the Smoggies may well have believed their fleeting time towards the top-of-the-table was to soon be over this season.

However, the hard-fought appointment of former Hammarby boss Kim Hellberg has seen his reign begin extremely well on Teesside and there is an expectation that ‘Boro will have their best chance of gaining promotion to the top-flight since the days of Aitor Karanka.

That is perhaps surprising given the talent that Middlesbrough have had in that time, most notably with the side that finished fourth in the 2022/23 campaign that boasted the likes of Cameron Archer, Chuba Akpom and Aaron Ramsey in the final third.

One player that never really lived up to their level at ‘Boro was Morgan Rogers, but he has since gone on to evolve into a real top-flight star, with pundit Jamie Carragher recently suggesting he is one of the very best players in the Premier League.

Morgan Rogers’ emergence has been a surprise for Middlesbrough

Having come through the academy at West Bromwich Albion before moving to Manchester City, Morgan Rogers spent time out on loan at Lincoln City, AFC Bournemouth and Blackpool before his permanent switch from City to the Riverside Stadium.

It was only ever in that first loan stint with the Imps whereby he really showed the potential he had on a consistent basis, and so it was a punt for ‘Boro.

Up in the north east, Rogers showed glimpses but, as FLW’s Middlesbrough Fan Pundit Liam Day has explained, his emergence into a real star and now a regular England international has been a bit of a shock.

Liam says: “I am absolutely shocked at how Morgan Rogers is doing.

“When he was at ‘Boro, especially towards the end, we definitely saw glimpses of the player he could become but definitely never thought he’d become the player that is probably a £90m player, which is what he’s likely to go for.

“I remember saying to my mate that I didn’t get it, he should’ve stayed another six months here developing, but fair play to him, he’s clearly made the right career choice and I’m happy for him.

“He always seemed a good lad when he was at ‘Boro. He played out of position as a striker under (Michael) Carrick at times, but when he did play in his more natural position behind the striker he was definitely growing into that role.

“I am very shocked to see him doing as well as he is but, he’s clearly worked hard and I’m very happy for him.”

Morgan Rogers has become a star after Middlesbrough

In the January transfer window of 2024, Aston Villa were seeking reinforcements to try and bolster their challenge for a top four finish and UEFA Champions League qualification.

It would have therefore been a bit of a surprise that Morgan Rogers was the only notable signing for the first-team in that window, with goalkeeper Joe Gauci and full-backs Kosta Nedeljkovic and Lino Sousa all being signed with the latter two loaned out an Gauci brought in as third-choice.

Rogers, though, having scored just twice in 26 Championship appearances, managed to take his EFL Cup form with ‘Boro to Villa Park, having notched five times in that competition on Middlesbrough’s way to a semi-final defeat to Chelsea, where they had won the first-leg.

Rogers didn’t immediately become a regular guaranteed starter in his first few months, but gradually became undroppable before the end of the season and then again last year, as he made 54 appearances across all competitions for the Villains, including 12 appearances and four goals in Europe’s elite club competition.

This season, Rogers, after a slow start, appears to have gone to another level, forming a key part of recent England elevens as they qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup under the management of Thomas Tuchel.

To have gone from a player who struggled to nail down a starting spot for Middlesbrough as recently as the autumn of 2023, prior to an impressive run of form leading into the winter, to what has become today, as Carragher describes, has certainly been a shock for many Middlesbrough observers.