Morgan Rogers has made a big money move to Chelsea three years on from suffering relegation with Blackpool.
Former Blackpool loanee Morgan Rogers has completed a big money move to Chelsea.
The attacking midfielder has made the move to Stamford Bridge from Aston Villa for a reported £117million - which is a British record transfer fee.
Just three years ago, the 23-year-old endured an ill-fated loan stint at Bloomfield Road, with the Seasiders suffering relegation from the Championship.
Morgan Rogersplaceholder image
Morgan Rogers
His time in Tangerine saw him post one goal and one assist in 22 outings, as he worked under Michael Appleton, Mick McCarthy and Stephen Dobbie.
The spell on the Fylde Coast ultimately brought an end to his time on the books of Manchester City, with the Citizens selling him to Middlesbrough after spending the previous seasons on loan with Lincoln City and AFC Bournemouth.
It was while at the Riverside Stadium, the youngster caught the eye of Villa.
After scoring seven goals and providing nine assists for the North Yorkshire outfit in the Championship, Rogers was snapped up by Unai Emery’s side - where he has proven to be a sensation.
In 125 appearances for Villa, he found the back of the net 31 times and provided 29 assists - with four of his goals coming in the Champions League.
More recently, Rogers was part of the England squad that finished third at the FIFA World Cup, starting three games at the tournament.
Dobbie’s thoughts on Rogers’ rise after Blackpool stint
Stephen Dobbie and Ian Evattplaceholder image
Stephen Dobbie and Ian Evatt
Discussing the rise of the ex-Blackpool loanee last month, first-team coach Dobbie said: “Morgan was a top lad. Sometimes it happens - you go on loan and you don’t play as many games as you would like or you don’t fit into the system the manager at that time is trying to adopt.
“Everyone could see how much talent Morgan actually had. We’ve seen him kicking on now, and his natural ability is up there with the best I’ve seen first-hand.
“The way he dribbles with the ball, he can carry it 30, 40 yards with both feet, he can finish, and he can see a pass. It’ll be exciting to watch someone like that to see if he can do it at the highest level; I’m sure he can.
“I think he’ll go further again, because his potential is very big. It’ll be interesting where he’ll get to in his career.”