How playing 'bigger, quicker kids' made Morgan Rogers an England star

For Aston Villa and England footballer Morgan Rogers, the love of the game runs in the family.

"My mum and dad are fans of football and my brothers are fans of football, so it made it really easy for me to be," he told the Football Association.

The 23-year-old added he was "a bit of a geek" when it comes to learning players, teams and little details that other people may not know.

For the people who have been part of his journey, it was the passion he showed from an early age which has taken him from a grassroots team in Halesowen to Tuchel's England squad in Texas.

On Wednesday, England get their World Cup campaign going with their first match against Croatia.

Rogers has become a mainstay of England manager Thomas Tuchel's team, featuring in the vast majority of games - but faces strong competition, according to many experts, from midfielder Jude Bellingham for a starting role.

His thirst for knowledge was evident from a young age, according to former West Bromwich Albion manager Darren Moore.

He was part of the club's academy coaching staff when he first came across Rogers, who played for the under-14s team at the time.

"Every time in football training or games, he would always work hard, express himself and want to absorb all the information that was given to him," said Moore.

Rogers' talent quickly set him apart, as he "used to play up an age group, and sometimes used to come on and sub for the under-18s because he was so advanced in his years".

Looking back at this time, Rogers thinks playing against "bigger, older, quicker kids" pushed him to improve.

"If you're always being pushed and always being challenged, you're always going to improve and that's the thing I take from when I was younger," he said about his grassroots story.

Moore had little doubt about his potential.

"He was quickly identified as one of the real star performers in the academy," he said.

"When I transitioned into management I knew his potential. As a manager it was me that gave him his full debut, he didn't disappoint and accelerated."

After leaving West Brom, Moore continued to track Rogers' progress and tried to bring him to Doncaster Rovers.

"Michael Appleton was manager at Lincoln City and we were both vying to get him, we were really fighting to try and get him."

Although it was Lincoln City who came out triumphant, bringing the player on loan from Manchester City.

"It's a real warming feeling, you go back to the days you were part of the journey of these players who do come through, it brings a warming feeling and a glow to you really," he remembers.

While coaches spotted his potential in the academy, the same qualities were just as clear at school.

Rogers attended Sandwell Academy and was part of the side that won the National Schools Cup in 2017, and in later years.

Scott Follis, now head of PE at Sandwell Academy, taught Rogers during that time and remembers a pupil whose talent stood out immediately.

"My first memory of him is seeing him on the football pitch, " he said. "Morgan was brilliant, we are quite lucky as a school, over the years we have had some really talented footballers come through."

He added: "He was always a step above, just an excellent footballer, what you see now when he is playing at the highest level, is what we saw at school level.

"He was so natural with the ball, so effortless, I remember watching Morgan, and wondering if he didn't make it to the top level, I don't know what the top level is."

Follis and the PE department have kept an eye on him throughout the years.

"We knew when he was out on loan, and breaking into the first teams, we try and track our students," said Follis.

When he saw Rogers named in the 26-man squad for the summer tournament, Follis said he was "really excited to see how he gets on and it's great to see him out there on a massive stage".

Meanwhile, Rogers is continuing to inspire future generations at his old school.

"The students ask 'did Morgan Rogers come here?' 'Did you teach Morgan?', and the majority know we did," Follis added.

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