"Into the top six or even more" - Middlesbrough's Aston Villa transfer regret voiced | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit believes Aston Villa ace could have helped the club achieve a play-off finish last season.

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...

Morgan Rogers' career is on a frightening upward trajectory, and since his move from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa, the winger has demonstrated that his ability belongs in the Premier League.

The 22-year-old moved to Villa Park at the end of the January transfer window earlier this year for a reported fee of £8m plus add-ons, which could rise to £15m, as per BBC Sport.

Given Rogers' impact at Villa, a senior England call-up from Lee Carsley must surely be in the pipeline, with the winger selected for the England under-21s instead.

When asked about which player he wished he had seen more of at the Riverside, FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit, Phil Spencer, said it was Rogers whose time at the club ended prematurely.

Although he does not begrudge the 22-year-old's move to Villa Park, he believes Rogers could have made a significant impact in the second half of last season.

"From a Middlesbrough point of view, from a selfish point of view, it would have been nice to see a little bit more of him towards the second half of the season with him on board, because he could have made a massive, massive difference," Spencer told Football League World.

"Obviously, he joined the club last summer, having left Manchester City, came to us as quite a raw attacking midfield player, someone who had clear talent, clear talent and clear quality, which was maybe lacking in that final decision.

"What we saw over his first few months at the club was a player who was growing and maturing at a great rate, and it was probably only within the last month or so before the January transfer window that we started to see a more complete player, someone who was capable of performing on a consistent basis for Middlesbrough.

"He could have been strutting his stuff and helping Middlesbrough to get into the top six or even more, but that's just purely from a selfish point of view.

"It would have been great to see him performing as a sort of finished article at the Riverside, but as I said, you can hardly dispute the fact that he moved on to Aston Villa, and it's a club that is very dear to his heart, and it's a move that's ultimately paid off for him as well."

Middlesbrough fan pundit praises Morgan Rogers' Aston Villa impact

Rogers' time at the Riverside Stadium came to a premature end, having only been at the club for just under seven months following his move from Manchester City.

While Spencer was disappointed at the winger's departure for Villa Park, he praised the 22-year-old for the impact he has made since joining the Champions League outfit.

"What he's done since joining Villa has been absolutely remarkable," Spencer continued. "Not only has he become a regular first team player with Aston Villa, but a really influential one at that, helping Villa to the top four last season.

"He is off to a great start this season, and obviously played a starring role against Bayern Munich in the week as well, which was so, so impressive for a player who has just kicked on massively in the last 12 months.

"As far as Middlesbrough fans are concerned, I think there was no sort of ill feeling towards him moving on. I think it was a great opportunity for him, and he's clearly shown that he's capable of stepping up to life in the Premier League and becoming a top Premier League player.

"I think a few people thought that he’d go there and be a bit of a squad player and struggle to get the opportunities, but he took to life like a duck to water, and he's now one of the top players in the Premier League.

"It’s clearly a move that's paid off, but it would have been nice to get a few more sterling performances out of him before he did eventually move on."

Given his steep rise in English football, it is no surprise that Spencer wishes Rogers had remained at Middlesbrough beyond half a season.

The winger was so impressive for Boro, that he earned a move to the Premier League with Aston Villa, and he has shown fans that he is more than comfortable in the top flight.