Unai Emery has said he is “surprised” by Morgan Rogers’ inclusion in England under-21s upcoming fixtures, questioning “what does he gain?”
England caretaker boss Lee Carsley was at Villa Park to watch Rogers in Aston Villa’s 2-0 defeat against Arsenal, with the 22-year-old the team’s standout performer.
Since arriving from Middlesbrough in January, Rogers has impressed Emery with his swift adaptation and establishing himself as a key member in the team.
Talking ahead of Villa’s trip to Leicester City, Emery was asked about Rogers’ form but questioned the decision to include the forward in the under-21s, citing the issues Jacob Ramsey suffered when playing at international youth level. Last summer, Ramsey broke his metatarsal during England’s under-21s European Championship campaign, resulting in the subsequent campaign being blighted by injury.
“I am surprised,” said Emery. “I respect that they are not calling him for the first team, but the second team? He is not a player for the second team. Hopefully, he will come back here in good shape. Last year, Ramsey came back injured and barely played all season which was very painful for us and we lost a lot without him.
“I am very surprised with Morgan Rogers. The national team called him but for Under-21. What does he gain by playing in the U21s, Morgan Rogers? He is ready in case they want to call him for the national team, I can understand. My response to it, my question is, Morgan Rogers, now he is a reality. The first six months he was here, was OK, but now he is confirming it – not to play in the Under-21s. If they are calling him in the national team, the first team, OK perfect. If not, why?
Rogers impressed for Villa in their defeat to Arsenal last week (Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)
“Last year, I thought Ramsey was ready to play in the senior team. He played in the Under-21s and he came here injured and he struggled all season. Jacob was closer to being in the first team [than the Under-21s].”
As The Athletic has detailed, Rogers spent this summer preparing for his full Villa season with fitness camps abroad and hiring his own personal chef. Emery believes his sharp development means he, unlike team-mate Jaden Philogene who is still acclimatising, is beyond under-21 level.
“Some players when they are playing with us, being successful, playing well consistently over 90 minutes with very good performances, they are ready to play for the senior teams, not the Under-21s. U21s is Jaden (Philogene). He has come here from the Championship last year, and he has to confirm here if he is ready to play consistently with us, and now he can play with the U21s. But Morgan Rogers?”
Rogers had made 13 Premier League appearances for Villa, scoring three times.
(Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
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