Morgan Rogers admits getting his first England senior call-up is a “pinch-me” moment but believes he can hit even bigger heights.
Rogers has enjoyed quite the rise over the last 12 months, having left Middlesbrough for Aston Villa last January for £15million.
He was thrown straight into the first team at Villa Park and helped his new club achieve Champions League qualification for the first time before again excelling this season as Unai Emery’s men enjoyed an impressive start.
The 22-year-old has benefitted from the spate of withdrawals from Lee Carsley’s squad for Nations League games against Greece and Republic of Ireland, earning a promotion from the Under-21 squad.
“Obviously, I’m a big England fan, so I watched all the internationals growing up. So playing with these players now is a pinch-me moment,” he said.
“But I’m just really excited to learn what it’s all about and to show what I’m about at the same time.
“I’m enjoying my football at the moment. I think I’m playing pretty well, but I know there’s obviously still work to do and work to improve on.
“I’m so thankful and grateful I’m here, now I can say that I’ve finally been called up and it’s a great honour.
“I think I just try and push myself every day and see what new levels I can reach.
“I’ve probably surprised myself at times, maybe this season, with how well I’ve done, but I’ve always had that confidence and that belief in myself that I can get to this level and maintain it.
“It’s more about maintaining my consistency, keep it going, and hopefully I can get better and better and just keep improving.”
Villa boss Emery recently complained about Rogers continuing to be called up for the Under-21s as an overage player, but will be presumably happier about his promotion into the senior set-up.
“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him, but I suppose he might be a bit happier,” Rogers joked. “But playing for England, no matter what level, to me means just as much.
“Obviously, the pinnacle is the first team. But playing with the 21s, I enjoyed every moment of it. I love playing for the 21s, I love playing for England.
“It’s that kind of different football. It’s a way to show yourself, to showcase yourself in a different way. So I love playing for England and I always have done.”
And Rogers wants to stick around.
“I want to stay in. And that’s the difficulty of being here,” he said.
“The players obviously that aren’t here as well. They’re going to be biting back to come back in.
“And it’s about how I am, not just on this camp, but obviously the football we’ve got until the next camp, and how I play and how I perform, but it’s a challenge. But it’s an exciting one that I’m looking forward to.”