Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers is big friends with Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham and they are on course to meet in the Champions League semi-finals if they both get through
Morgan Rogers is desperate to face Jude Bellingham at Villa Park – and finally shut him up. Aston Villa midfielder Rogers is big friends with Real Madrid superstar Bellingham and they are on course to meet in the Champions League semi-finals if they both get through.
Bellingham started his career at Birmingham City and is a lifelong “Bluenose” while his rivalry with Rogers goes back to when the latter was at West Brom. Rogers has loved meeting up with Bellingham in this England camp but has also got his sights set on another showdown.
Rogers said: “I don’t think he’d enjoy going to Villa Park much… He’s played everywhere but he’s never played at Villa Park. Yeah that would be good. We’ve obviously got a tie, he’s got a tie, that we’ve got to get through first.
“PSG are one of the best teams I’ve seen this season, they blew everyone away against Liverpool, so that will be some game, some tie. I’m looking forward to it. They’re the games you want to play in as a footballer.
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“We were both in the Under-15 camp for England here. Jude was playing an age group up. And obviously before that from when I was at West Brom, playing against Birmingham, that rivalry in midfield.
“I remember there was a floodlit tournament when we were Under-15s, I think. We had Birmingham in our group so we played them home and away. I remember that one vividly, I always bring it up to him. He’s never beaten me!
“He’s always had a mouth on him! But we’ve had a really good relationship and to be with him now is really nice. Our careers and paths have been completely different but always been in contact along the journey which is really nice and always been not far from each other where we grew up. It makes it a bit sweeter. It’s really nice.”
Rogers, meanwhile, also revealed Marcus Rashford has been a huge hit at Villa – because he has taken the heat off everyone else. Villa star Rogers says Rashford is such a threat that opposition defences are so worried about stopping him that others go under the radar.
Rogers said: “When we got into games, no one is worrying about me. It is nice playing with him because everyone is scared of everything he can do.
“We are completely different, he makes a lot of direct runs, one vs one, wants to take people on and the pace in behind, it is a problem and completely different to what I do so I think it works well.
“I have played with him a number of times now and I can give him space if I come short and we can work well together. It is really nice and for Villa to attract players of that level shows the level we are going in as well because everyone knows the level of Marcus and what he can get to and it is just about finding his form and his confidence again and he is starting to get that.
“I can see it straight away, when he is training, when he is playing, the confidence he has got, the things he is trying and he is a joy to play with and a joy to work with.
“He has set the fans alight and got the crowd going and he gives you that real energy, that real buzz, that’s the kind of player he is and when he is showing all his capabilities and you know he is on it, that’s a real problem.”
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