Credit: Imago

Carla Devine

Sat 14 June 2025 12:30, UK

Morgan Rogers has been a shining star for Aston Villa this season.

After being used sparingly for Villa upon his arrival, Rogers became a standout performer for Unai Emery this season, making 37 Premier League appearances.

As a result of his impressive league form, the 22-year-old was called up to the England senior squad, earning plenty of plaudits for his performances earlier in the campaign.

However, despite playing for Thomas Tuchel again last time out, a 3-1 defeat against Senegal left the squad far from praise.

Theo Walcott defends Rogers after poor performance

Although Harry Kane scored seven minutes into the game, England did not have enough to overcome Senegal at the City Ground.

Rogers came on for the goalscorer in the 59th minute, although he failed to have the desired impact as Tuchel’s men fell to a miserable defeat.

Although he showed some strong moments on the ball, the Villa man came under criticism from supporters for a move that didn’t get his side anywhere.

However, Theo Walcott has suggested that Rogers‘ shortcomings were not necessarily down to him alone.

Although he acknowledges that the 22-year-old was far from what was expected of him, Walcott has blasted the England boss for the way he set up instead.

Speaking to The Athletic (14 June), the former Premier League forward admitted he is not a fan of the lack of centre-forwards at England as he said: “I don’t like it. I always feel that it shows where we are as a country because we can’t find a number nine to play in a system.

“For instance, the other day when Morgan Rogers came on, he was non-existent in a position he is not used to, even though he’s a very good player. He likes to drive with the ball, so why have players in positions where they are not used to playing?

“The perfect example who has really adapted themselves in that position as a false nine is Ousmane Dembele. Obviously, he’s a lot more experienced, but we haven’t got a player like Dembele. You could get away with it in this Under-21 Euros, but in the long run, I’m not a big believer in not having number nines.”

Aston Villa can be pleased Rogers wasn’t attracting interest

Aston Villa and their supporters will always be eager to see their players succeed on the international stage, showing just how strong they are.

However, with plenty of interest in poaching Rogers away from Villa Park this summer after his impressive season, some supporters may be able to breathe a slight sigh of relief that he didn’t show his absolute best on the international stage.

As Walcott points out, although it wasn’t a strong performance, being played in a position where he is not comfortable or used to is putting a lot of pressure on him to deliver.

The youngster has certainly proved his abilities in both domestic and international football so far, and one off performance should not be enough to gain too much criticism.

Nevertheless, if it can help dull interest from elsewhere even slightly, then Villa can be secretly a little bit pleased.