Morgan Rogers has expressed his excitement over receiving his first call-up to the England senior squad, describing the moment as surreal and a "pinch-me moment." The 22-year-old forward, who made the switch from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa last January for £15 million, has made a significant impact at Villa Park. Since joining, he has been instrumental in helping the club secure Champions League qualification for the first time and has continued to excel this season.
Due to several withdrawals from Lee Carsley’s squad for the Nations League fixtures against Greece and the Republic of Ireland, Rogers has moved up from the Under-21s to join the senior team. Speaking about his elevation, Rogers stated, “Obviously, I’m a big England fan, so I watched all the internationals growing up. So playing with these players now is a pinch-me moment. But I’m just really excited to learn what it’s all about and to show what I’m about at the same time.”
According to Yahoo! Sport, Rogers has shown great form, noting his enjoyment of football at the moment, whilst also acknowledging the room for improvement. He mentioned, “I think I’m playing pretty well, but I know there’s obviously still work to do and work to improve on. I think I just try and push myself every day and see what new levels I can reach.”
Aston Villa's manager, Unai Emery, has previously commented on Rogers’ repeated call-ups to the Under-21s as an overage player, but he will likely welcome the forward's promotion to the senior team. Rogers joked about this, saying, “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him, but I suppose he might be a bit happier. But playing for England, no matter what level, to me means just as much.”
Rogers expressed his desire to continue being part of the senior squad, acknowledging the competition for places from players not included in this camp. He stated, “I want to stay in. And that’s the difficulty of being here. The players obviously that aren’t here as well. They’re going to be biting back to come back in.”
As he prepares to showcase his talents on the international stage, Rogers remains focused on his performance with Aston Villa and aims to maintain his consistency in order to secure his position going forward.