Aston Villa youngster Morgan Rogers has praised Unai Emery, crediting his new coach for the impact that he has been able to make since joining us in January.
The 21-year-old arrived from Middlesbrough in the January transfer window having emerged as a priority target for the Villa boss, and he has wasted little time in making his mark when given an opportunity.
READ MORE: Villa confirm 2024 pre-season schedule with five games announced
Aside from scoring two goals and providing an assist in 13 appearances thus far, Rogers has been excellent in terms of his adaptability and understanding of the tactical demands put on him by the Basque coach, as he’s slotted into our system and structure impressively to play a key role immediately.
While we’ve seen that it has taken others in the squad a little more time before Emery has been able to extract their top form out of them, Rogers has proven to be a vital addition as he’s helped us deal with some key absentees through injury too.
Unsurprisingly, the talented youngster has praised Emery for the role he’s played in helping him improve and develop over the past three months, and naturally, there’s much more to come from him too.
“The manager really is great with me, pushing me every day to get better. He knows the capability I have,” he told the Express and Star. “When I signed for Villa, I never imagined I would play and be involved as much so soon.
“Obviously, I had the confidence and belief that I deserved to be here and was good enough but the team was playing so well and so well structured. I’ve been pretty pleased with my performances, especially of late. It has been a mad six weeks, two months or whatever you want to call it. I am just going for it, every chance I get.
“Our relationship is really good and he is definitely getting the best out of me at the moment. I am still going to keep pushing, working hard and listening to him because I think he is one of the best managers in the world. It is there for everyone to see how good we are tactically, how we are ready for every game. That is down to him.
“We showed that fight, that resilience and character to do what we did [against Lille]. When you have that calming but demanding person behind you, it is so important and vital.
“We are so ready, mentally and physically, going into the game. Particularly the European games, I have noticed he emphasises how difficult they are going to be, especially the ones away from home where you know there is going to be a hostile atmosphere.”
While we’re all fully aware of the impact that Emery has made over the past 18 months, not only from a coaching perspective but also in terms of the mentality and resilience of this squad to now deal with setbacks, we often hear our players speak glowingly about what it’s been like playing under him.
Emery has been exceptional in his development of players as individuals and of the team as a collective, and while it’s perhaps happened quicker than many would have expected, Rogers has followed a trend that we’ve seen with so many others in the squad.
Of course, there is still more he needs to show and being consistent will be a major test for him, but it’s been a joy to watch him deservedly carve his place into this team and play a pivotal role regardless of position or role, to showcase his quality but also to make a fundamental contribution to help his new teammates.