Morgan Rogers shooting for England
Morgan Rogers shooting for England
Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers was on the wrong end of the result in England's devastating 2-1 World Cup defeat to Argentina on Wednesday.
The dust has now settled after Thomas Tuchel's side were knocked out of the semi-final of the tournament by the defending champions, but it still hurts after the position that the Three Lions found themselves in.
Tuchel went with two selections many thought of as surprises, with Djed Spence being one of them and Rogers being the other.
The Aston Villa star started on the right wing, a position that Unai Emery has rarely ever started the forward.
However, the England international showed his versatility, playing a huge role in the opening goal of the contest after delivering a fabulous ball for Anthony Gordon to sweep in.
Aston Villa fans will be proud of Rogers' performance, as the national media have had their say.
How national media reacted to 'justified' Morgan Rogers inclusion
Rogers finished the tournament having played 247 minutes across six appearances, with two of them being starts.
He played the full 90 minutes against Argentina, boasting 92 per cent passing accuracy, with the one chance he created a big one for Gordon.
The 23-year-old completed 100 per cent of his long ball attempts, while he chipped in defensively with three successful ground duels, one tackle and two recoveries.
English media have since reacted to Rogers' 25-touch performance after the loss.
The Mirror gave the Villa man a 7/10 rating and wrote: "Got the nod on the right wing, justified it with a brilliant cross for Gordon. What an assist."
The Guardian hailed Rogers as a "creative force" and described his cross for Gordon as "lovely".
Finally, the Daily Mail also gave him a 7/10 rating, and wrote: "Looked like getting plenty of joy early on against Nicolas Tagliafico, but he faded and had only 14 touches come half-time. But he only needed one to deliver a wicked ball for Gordon's opener."
Aston Villa will now expect Rogers to return back to B6, but it may not be for long.
NSWE has set a price tag of over £100million for the former Middlesbrough man, using Elliot Anderson's move to Manchester City as an example of their requirements.
Villa will be hoping to get at least £100m for Rogers, and his latest performance will have only helped their case.
The Villans have had financial struggles in recent years, but they know this potential sale could heavily balance the books moving forward.
He didn't deserve to be on the losing side, with Tuchel much to blame for the Three Lions' heartache.