Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers has revealed how Unai Emery is pushing him to raise his level, and he’s relishing the challenge.
As per BBC Sport, Villa signed the 21-year-old in a deal that could be worth up to £15m in the January transfer window, and so it was a significant addition by Emery and investment from the club.
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Rogers has featured seven times since joining us, and although he hasn’t registered a goal contribution as of yet, there have been plenty of positive signs and progress as he continues to earn minutes and adapt to the Villa boss and his demands.
We saw more of that in the win over Wolves this past weekend, as the talented youngster’s ability to pick up possession and drive forward from midfield areas was providing us with impetus and a threat in the final third.
Naturally, we’re yet to see the best from Rogers as he continues to improve, develop and mature, and he has revealed not only his desire to leave his mark in a Villa shirt, but also how Emery is challenging him to step up and fulfil his potential.
“I’m just trying to make an impact,” he said, as per BirminghamLive. “The team were playing really well before I came and I’m trying to add to that and be in the rhythm of it. I feel like I’m finding my feet and I’m getting better every time I step on the pitch. I just want to keep improving and I know I’ve got more levels to go I’m looking forward to it.
“I don’t just want to be here. I want to make an impact and do something in the Premier League and I’ve got the capability to do that. I’ve got a manager behind me who is going to push me and challenge me and I need that. I’ve got players around me who will push me as well and that’s what I want to do.
“He (Emery) likes to mention I’m a Championship player a lot. That’s the kind of relationship we have. He’s trying to push me because he wants me to get to that level and it’s about showing me I can.
“It’s not a negative thing. No way. It’s motivational. He’s trying to push me every day in training. If I’m not 100 per cent at the level he will be the first to let me know. That’s the relationship we have. I wouldn’t want to change that. He pushes me where I need to and I feel I’m getting better and I’m so happy with the relationship we’ve got.”
Injuries elsewhere in the squad have opened the door for Rogers to feature more prominently than he might have anticipated when he signed, with the likes of Emiliano Buendia and Jacob Ramsey still missing.
That in turn has seen him start our last two Premier League games, and that’s a fundamental part of the adaptation process as he’ll only build understanding and chemistry with his teammates while putting Emery’s demands into action by playing regularly.
We’ve seen that with countless others in the current squad who perhaps took some time to settle and show their quality, and Rogers is hopefully on a similar path as them under the stewardship of Emery.
Based on his comments above, he certainly sounds as though he has the mindset to succeed, and with Villa showing faith in him and believing in his ability and potential, we’ll hopefully see him go from strength to strength in the coming weeks and months to help us become increasingly competitive.