Morgan Rogers showed a touch of class as the Aston Villa star sent a message to Michael Carrick after he was sacked as head coach of Middlesbrough.
Carrick’s two-and-a-half years in charge at Boro were brought to an end on Wednesday. It followed a disappointing third season in charge in which the club missed out on their top-six ambition and ended up finishing in a disappointing tenth position, with their second-lowest Championship points tally of the last decade.
Despite that, there was still a lot of support for Carrick at the club, particularly among the players. Tommy Conway was the first to publicly relay his sorrow to see the Manchester United legend move on. Later on Wednesday evening, Hayden Hackney, who has been on record for praising the coach for his work in developing him, took to Instagram with his own message.
Hackney posted a picture of himself and Carrick alongside the words: "Thanks for everything gaffa." As yet, no other current Boro players have commented on Carrick’s dismissal, but perhaps the biggest surprise came in the classy message that Villa star Rogers sent.
Rogers is currently enjoying a holiday after a fantastic season at Villa Park has seen him emerge as a star in Unai Emery’s side. Scoring Champions League goals and earning his first England cap, it’s been quite the year for the former Boro man. But he’s not forgotten the importance Carrick played on that journey.
Taking to his Instagram and, like Hackney, posting a picture of himself alongside Carrick, Rogers wrote: "what a guy, all the best gaffer.” It was a touch of class from the rising star.