- Morgan Rogers has caught the eye since signing for Aston Villa in January
- He says the time he spent with Lincoln, Bournemouth and Blackpool shaped him
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Morgan Rogers admitted the loneliness of loan spells has prompted him to reconsider his attitude as he embarks on a Champions League campaign just three years after playing in League One.
The Aston Villa forward has shone since joining Unai Emery from Middlesbrough in January and will be an invaluable asset as Villa take on the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus.
Emery is so impressed with Rogers’ performance that he questions whether the English Football Association had been wise enough to select him for the England Under-21 side, who play a friendly against Austria on Monday night.
The product of Manchester City’s academy has received rave reviews so far this season, particularly against Arsenal, and he believes his time at Lincoln City, Bournemouth and Blackpool has shaped him.
“I struggled to get into the Bournemouth team,” Rogers said of a six-month spell with just one start in the Championship. “I was a long way from home. There were different challenges there, which is probably where I grew up the most.
Morgan Rogers admitted loneliness during loan spells made him rethink his attitude
‘I focused more on myself than on other things. Bournemouth helped me to be more open to improving, regardless of what people think of you.
“There was no reward for playing at the end of a week, so how do you judge how you’re doing? Ultimately, when you look at the bigger picture, you want to be the best version of yourself in your best years.
“It was about stepping stones. Days of whining and wasting training, being disappointed, is not going to do it. It’s about showing up every day, regardless of what people think, because you don’t want to waste a day to get to that end goal.”
Rogers, who lived alone on the south coast, says his friendship with Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham has ensured he has put in the effort.
“When I was younger I wasn’t messing around, but without being funny, I was the best in certain teams,” he added. “I didn’t have to have that mentality to be the best on the pitch and challenge myself.
‘When I took out these loans, I discovered that there were levels above and that’s where I discovered that I needed the same work ethic, willpower and attitude to be the best version of myself.
“There were times when I didn’t do that because I didn’t think it was necessary. But looking back, I now know what needs to be done to get to that level.”