Blackpool never saw what Middlesbrough did of Aston Villa star | OneFootball

Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers did not produce the sort of quality he showed at Middlesbrough while he was playing for Blackpool

Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers has rightfully received plenty of plaudits in recent months as he has been a real asset for the West Midlands giants in both the Premier League and the Champions League.

The former Manchester City man was deservedly handed his senior England debut during the Three Lions' most recent UEFA Nations League campaign, when he appeared as a second-half substitute during a 3-0 triumph in Greece.

He subsequently made a 15-minute cameo at Wembley when England, then under the stewardship of interim boss Lee Carsley, hammered Ireland 5-0.

Rogers rose through the youth academy ranks at West Bromwich Albion, but he made just one senior appearance for the Baggies before joining modern-day Premier League behemoths Man City during the summer of 2019.

But the England international never made a senior appearance for the Etihad Stadium side, instead enduring loan spells with Lincoln City and Blackpool before permanently joining Middlesbrough ahead of the 2023/24 Championship season.

Blackpool never saw what Middlesbrough did of Rogers

In January 2023, the Tangerines found themselves locked in a Championship relegation battle alongside the likes of Wigan Athletic and Reading, who were both suffering with monetary struggles.

But the Bloomfield Road faithful may have been hopeful that the loan signing of Rogers from Man City would be enough to help the club retain their second-tier status.

During his 2020/21 loan spell with Lincoln, the current Villa star fired the Imps to a League One play-off spot as he produced a return of six goals and two assists in 25 third-tier appearances.

He subsequently struggled to produce a similar impact in the Championship for Bournemouth the following campaign, but the Tangerines would have been enthused by the sort of form he had displayed during his Imps days.

However, Rogers failed to perform for the Lancashire outfit as he notched just one goal and one assist in 20 second-tier appearances and could not prevent them from suffering relegation back to League One.

Despite his lack of form in the North West, though, Middlesbrough were keen to see what the then-England youth international could offer them in the Championship.

Boro would not regret their acquisition either, as Rogers scored two goals as well as creating six assists in 26 second-tier appearances for Michael Carrick's men before permanently moving to Villa.

The Riverside Stadium faithful will never forget that, back in 2024, their side reached the EFL Cup semi-finals as a Championship outfit, while Rogers played a pivotal role in such a historic run by bagging five goals and two assists in six outings.

Rogers' exploits are a great advert for the talent in the EFL

When Villa signed Rogers in February 2024, the move could have been seen as a risk due to the fact that the attacking midfielder had never previously made a Premier League appearance.

He had shown his class in both League One and the Championship, though, as his positive spells with both Lincoln and Boro were enough to convince the West Midlands side to acquire his signature.

Rogers seamlessly made the step-up to the Premier League, as he scored three goals and created one assist in 11 2023/24 top-flight outings, which helped Villa seal a Champions League place.

The former Boro man went on to score in the Champions League as well as representing the Three Lions at senior level, less than a year on from plying his trade in the Championship.

His exploits at the very top level of the game can be seen as a positive advert for the talent which lies within the EFL, but Blackpool did not see the best of his services in the way that Boro did.