Morgan Rogers: The Rising Star of English Football

24/12/2025 15:47:00 ChampionChatter

Morgan Rogers’ impressive performances have not only made Aston Villa a Premier League title contender alongside Arsenal and Man City but also revealed the emergence of a superstar in the England squad.

Just three months ago, Rogers was still being reprimanded by Unai Emery for losing concentration on a through pass, which prevented Aston Villa from beating Sunderland in a match where they had a numerical advantage for over an hour. At that moment, Aston Villa was in a form crisis with six games without a win, and many questioned whether Rogers was worsening the situation.

Morgan Rogers: The Catalyst Behind Aston Villa’s Rise to Third Place

What about now? Unai Emery can now smile widely as Aston Villa recently beat Manchester United 2-1, securing their seventh consecutive Premier League victory and tenth straight win across all competitions — their best achievement in 111 years. Emery candidly said, "After a poor start, we are now happy." He also praised Rogers, who scored two braces against West Ham and now Manchester United: "Rogers has played very well. In the matches against MU and West Ham, he was in top form. He is a leader, a fighter, and a very likable young man." With Rogers in the team, Aston Villa has a player who can decide matches with his goals. This is especially important as their main striker Ollie Watkins has gone three Premier League games without scoring. Since the start of the season, the 1995-born forward has only scored three goals in 23 appearances, which is inadequate for a club with title ambitions like Aston Villa. Yet no one is concerned because Rogers is enjoying the best form of his career. His confidence enables the 23-year-old to consistently convert the best chances, and his goals are no longer surprising: "You want every shot to go into the top corner like that." Rogers’ right foot is so dangerous that some compare it to Arjen Robben's magical left foot from his Chelsea days. Ruben Amorim admitted after the match that Manchester United had no idea how to contain Rogers’ threat. Interestingly, the brace against Manchester United were Rogers' first goals at Villa Park; his previous five goals all came on the road for Emery’s side.

Rogers is thriving at Aston Villa and is a strong candidate for the World Cup squad

A Bright Prospect for the 2026 World Cup

When Rogers was called up to replace Jude Bellingham in England’s squad during the September FIFA international window and immediately appeared in the win over Serbia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, it surprised many. Some thought he was merely a trial option for Thomas Tuchel. The idea that he would start for England at next summer’s World Cup seemed far-fetched, given Tuchel still has other quality attackers like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer to support striker Harry Kane. However, with his current form, it’s hard for Tuchel to leave Rogers out of England’s squad heading to the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The German coach has reason to believe Rogers can compete fairly with Jude Bellingham for the number 10 role. Alternatively, he might deploy Rogers as a left forward to exploit his tendency to cut inside—a move Rogers frequently makes at Aston Villa. It’s entirely possible England will line up with Kane as the striker, supported by Saka, Rogers, and Bellingham.

Few expected Aston Villa to be third before Christmas, only three points behind leaders Arsenal. Even fewer believed in Rogers’ transformation to dispel doubts that both Emery and Tuchel favored him excessively. Now, he can fully dream of helping Aston Villa win the Premier League for the first time in their history and, beyond that, contribute to England’s ambition to win the 2026 World Cup.

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