Sport

Morgan Rogers has added his name to the list of number 10s England must choose between

Morgan Rogers was nowhere to be found in this year’s Ballon d’Or voting. Nobody expected him to be, but the fact Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer both finished in the top 30 for football’s most prestigious individual award highlights how difficult it will be for the Aston Villa playmaker to muscle his way into Thomas Tuchel’s team.

 

Bellingham and Palmer are both most effective playing in behind a central striker, where Rogers also does his best work. England also have Phil Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White who can operate in that role. Tuchel isn’t exactly short of options in attacking midfield, yet there is only one spot available.

 

Rogers, however, is making a case for himself as England’s starting number 10. The 23-year-old made the most of his opportunity against Wales on Friday, registering his first international goal as the hosts cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win. Rogers was arguably the best player on the pitch.

 

Perhaps even more notably, Rogers started and played the full 90 minutes of England’s 5-0 demolition of Serbia. This was The Three Lions’ best and most complete performance since Tuchel’s appointment last year and set a standard for the national team between now and the start of the 2026 World Cup.

 

“Morgan was excellent like the whole team, he’s very humble, he’s very physical,” said Tuchel after the win over Wales. “He has the ability to score and to assist. He had a fantastic season [in 2024-25] and was deservedly voted as the young player of the season in the Premier League. Morgan was one piece of the puzzle but it is a team effort.”

 

It’s easy to see why Tuchel would be so glowing in his praise of Rogers. The 23-year-old is a natural dribbler and has the ability to beat an opponent with the ball at his feet. Rogers is an instinctive creator in and around the final third, as demonstrated by the fact no Aston Villa player is averaging more key passes per 90 minutes than him.

 

Against Wales on Friday night, there were signs of a sound understanding between Rogers and Ollie Watkins. This wasn’t surprising considering the pair know each other well at club level, but Rogers also dovetailed well with Harry Kane when he started in the aforementioned campaign-defining victory in Belgrade.

 

Of course, there’s still time for the likes of Bellingham, Foden and Palmer to catch Tuchel’s eye before the World Cup, but Rogers is making the most of his opportunity in the first team. If Tuchel is currently going through the process of building a team for next summer, Rogers is making sure he will be a part of it.

 

England will officially qualify for the 2026 World Cup with a win over Latvia in Riga on Tuesday. While Tuchel’s tenure as national team manager hasn’t been the most exhilarating to date, it’s almost certain that The Three Lions will get the job done at which point everyone associated with England can start focusing on next summer.

 

Tuchel has a lot on his plate. He must find the right balance in the centre of the pitch. It’s not immediately clear who will play on the left wing. Or at left back. Or at right back, for that matter, with Trent Alexander-Arnold struggling for form and fitness and Reece James playing in central midfield for Chelsea.

 

In Rogers, though, Tuchel has someone who looks to have quickly absorbed his methods and ideas as England manager. The 23-year-old is on an upward trajectory as an international player and that could carry him to the World Cup as one of The Three Lions most important figures.