Morgan Rogers admits he misses star that Aston Villa happily sold for big money
Morgan Rogers has quickly become the star man at Aston Villa.
Rogers was brilliant in the recent away wins to Brighton and Leeds, and currently has six goal contributions in all competitions.
Even though Rogers started this season out of form, Unai Emery has never doubted the 23-year-old.
The former Middlesbrough star has formed a brilliant partnership with Ollie Watkins, who has maintained his place as Villa’s starting number nine since he arrived in 2020.
That isn’t to say that he has forgotten former Villa striker Jhon Duran.
Morgan Rogers sends happy birthday message to Jhon Duran
Duran moved to Al-Nassr for £64million plus add-ons last January, and it’s safe to say his time in the Middle East hasn’t been successful.
The Colombian international scored 12 goals in 18 games for the Saudi Arabian side, but has now moved to Fenerbahce on loan.
Having been in B6 for two years, Duran became a cult hero, but eventually left in search of more game time as Watkins continued to impress ahead of him.
| Stat | Duran |
| Appearances | 78 |
| Goals | 20 |
| Assists | 0 |
The 22-year-old has scored three goals for his new club, and it feels as if his career is currently at a crossroads.
Rogers posted a picture of the two of them celebrating on Instagram, and wished him a happy birthday on 13 December.
“Happy birthday, my brother, miss you,” he wrote.
Rogers also sent him a goodbye message when he left in January, and the friendship between the two players certainly hasn’t faded away.
Jhon Duran had several iconic moments for Aston Villa
Despite being resigned to the bench so often, Duran had plenty of occasions where he showcased his brilliance.
His thunderous long-range strike against Everton capped off a wonderful 3-2 comeback in September 2024, while his winner against West Ham put to bed any rumours of him leaving Villa Park at that time.
However, the one that will long in the memory of all Villa fans is the fantastic lob over Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to give Villa a famous 1-0 win over the German giants in October 2024.
Watkins has only scored three league goals this season, and if Duran were still at the club, he would have likely started over him.
Whether he returns to England is a completely different equation, and his time at Villa certainly came at the wrong point in his career.
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