Former Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry has hailed the rise of Morgan Rogers rise, admitting he didn’t expect the 23-year-old to reach the level he has.
Barry, who knows more than most about playing in the Premier League, told Sky Sports that he first saw Rogers as a ‘raw striker’ at West Bromwich Albion and never imagined the winger would become one of the league’s brightest young forwards.
“He was a young boy when I was at West Brom,” said Barry. “I remember him being a raw striker and thinking he’s not going to be the player he is today.
“It just shows you what you can sometimes miss. But he’s young, and it’s sometimes hard to find consistency as a young player.
“He’s probably started a tiny bit slow this year, but in his last England performance, he got back to his level. I’m sure once that confidence comes, he’ll put together another great season.”
Rogers joined Albion at the age of seven and he made his professional debut for the club in February 2019 before signing for Manchester City in August of the same year.
After a series of loans, he moved to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2023 and was instrumental in their Carabao Cup run in 2023/24. His tally of five goals made him the League Cup’s top scorer for that season.
Halesowen boy Rogers signed for Villa the following year and scored his first goal in a 3-3 draw against Brentford.
In January 2025 he became the second youngest English player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League, scoring three times, including two goals in the first five minutes, in a 4-2 victory over Celtic in last season’s league phase.
Rogers racked up 14 goals and provided 15 assists across all competitions in the 2024/25 season and was named Aston Villa’s Young Player of the Season at the club’s end-of-season awards.
He was also voted the PFA Young Player of the Year award, becoming the fifth Aston Villa player to win the award since its inception.
Rogers’ regular England involvement under Thomas Tuchel is another sign of how far he’s climbed in such a short time.
Against Wales last week, the Villa winger opened the scoring inside three minutes, showing the same directness and composure that have made him a threat in the Premier League.
It was his first senior goal for England and perhaps a glimpse of what’s to come ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
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