Morgan Rogers 'surprised' by England call-up as former Middlesbrough star sets new target

Morgan Rogers has described his first senior England call-up as a "pinch-me" moment, yet he's confident of reaching even greater heights. The 22-year-old winger's journey from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa in January last year for £15 million has been nothing short of meteoric.

Since making the switch, Rogers has not only secured a regular spot in the first team but also played a pivotal role in Villa's historic Champions League qualification and their strong performance this season under Unai Emery. Rogers' ascent to the senior squad comes after a series of player withdrawals, giving him the chance to step up from the Under-21s for the Nations League clashes with Greece and the Republic of Ireland.

"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," admitted ex-Boro forward Rogers. "But I’m just really excited to learn what it’s all about and to show what I’m about at the same time.

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"I’m enjoying my football at the moment. I think I’m playing pretty well, but I know there’s obviously still work to do and work to improve on.

"I’m so thankful and grateful I’m here, now I can say that I’ve finally been called up and it’s a great honour. I think I just try and push myself every day and see what new levels I can reach.

"I’ve probably surprised myself at times, maybe this season, with how well I’ve done, but I’ve always had that confidence and that belief in myself that I can get to this level and maintain it.

"It’s more about maintaining my consistency, keep it going, and hopefully I can get better and better and just keep improving," Villa's Rogers stated. Emery, the boss of Villa, has voiced his displeasure over Rogers being repeatedly selected for the Under-21s as an overage player, but is likely to be more content with his move up to the senior team.

"I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him, but I suppose he might be a bit happier," Rogers quipped. "But playing for England, no matter what level, to me means just as much."

"Obviously, the pinnacle is the first team. But playing with the 21s, I enjoyed every moment of it. I love playing for the 21s, I love playing for England. ".

"It’s that kind of different football. It’s a way to show yourself, to showcase yourself in a different way. So I love playing for England and I always have done."

Rogers expressed his desire to remain in the squad: "I want to stay in. And that’s the difficulty of being here," he explained. "The players obviously that aren’t here as well. They’re going to be biting back to come back in."

"And it’s about how I am, not just on this camp, but obviously the football we’ve got until the next camp, and how I play and how I perform, but it’s a challenge. But it’s an exciting one that I’m looking forward to."