'No one had ever seen it before' - Morgan Rogers names Man Utd favourites Cristiano Ronaldo & Paul Pogba as idols due to 'no-care attitude'

Rogers finally announced his arrival in the big time when joining Villa from Middlesbrough for £16 million ($22m) in February 2024. Every add-on clause in that transfer has been activated, across just two years.

Having come through the academy system at West Brom, before spending time with Manchester City, Rogers immediately felt at home when returning to his roots in the Midlands. By November of 2024, he was a senior international.

Having taken the Premier League by storm, with his powerful running and penchant for spectacular goals wowing top-flight audiences, PFA Young Player of the Year Rogers is eager to ensure that he remains on an upward trajectory - with more transfer speculation already beginning to rage.

There is a determination on his part to reach the very top and stay there, with a couple of idols growing up having achieved GOAT status and World Cup glory. Speaking to BBC Sport, Rogers said of those he looked to model his game and mindset on: “The person I grew up watching was Cristiano Ronaldo. The way he was in the Premier League the first time around and how no-one had ever seen it before. I liked the idea of that freedom he played with.

“So it's any players that have that no-care attitude and just keep trying and keep going again and keep going. I think people like Pogba, Yaya Toure, there's a few taller midfielders that have a lot of ability and a lot of running power. So those are players that are kind of similar to me, that I can kind of watch and look at about how they play. I don't think I've got their ability, by the way.”

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Rogers does have plenty of talent, and that is being showcased on a regular basis at Villa - on Premier League and Europa League stages, having also graced the Champions League. A first international goal was recorded in a friendly date with Wales in October 2025.

He is now an established part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans and is considered by many to be leading the race for England’s No.10 berth - ahead of the likes of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White and Phil Foden.

Rogers, as a confident character, believes that he can offer something different to the Three Lions. He said of being a trump card for Tuchel:”I think I'm a bit different to everyone that plays in my position. I like to see myself as someone that can do different things on the pitch.

“When asked, I can be a number 10, I can be a winger, I can be a striker. If you ask me to do it and you give me the instructions to do it, I think I've got the capabilities to offer something different to maybe what other people don't have, which is a nice thing.”

He added on chasing the dream of gracing FIFA’s flagship event: “It's the pinnacle of football. Everyone growing up as a kid wants to play in the World Cup. They want to represent their country and being in the pool of players that could potentially do that is exciting. It's so motivational, especially going into this season.

“I wouldn't say it's in the forefront of my mind. I'm thinking about it, you can't help but know that at the end of the season England are competing in the World Cup to try and win a World Cup. You get that excitement, that buzz, as it gets closer. I want to just focus on my performances every week playing here and then see where it takes me, really.”

Rogers has reached 12 caps for England and should, fitness permitting, be handed a seat on the Three Lions’ plane to North America this summer. There is plenty for him to achieve prior to that as he seeks to emulate the likes of Ronaldo, Pogba and Toure in the trophy-winning department.