MORGAN Rogers has revealed the key conversation with Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough that paved the way for the forward's stunning rise in recent months.

Since Rogers left Boro in January, the former Manchester City forward has established himself as one of the Premier League's shining lights at Aston Villa and was this week handed his first senior England call-up.

Rogers impressed in the second half of last season after joining Villa but has kicked on again since the start of the current campaign - and he puts that down to some key advice he received from his former boss Carrick.

The 22-year-old took time to settle at the Riverside after joining in the summer of 2023 but offered encouraging glimpses of what he was capable of in his first couple of months on Teesside before nailing down a place in Carrick's squad.

And looking back, Rogers says: "Michael Carrick had a conversation with me at Middlesbrough about not just being a player who had potential but trying to fulfil it.

"It's hard to explain how that looks but you just know and feel more of a complete player, not a moment or glimpses player.

"Last year I showed glimpses at the end of last season but this season it was a real mindset that I wanted to be a mainstay in the [Aston Villa] team, progress, develop and show what I'm about and take the next leap.

"The manager behind me [Unai Emery] is perfect to demand and push me every day. When everything comes together I think that's why I've been performing as I have been, but I know there's more to come."

Boro stand to benefit from Rogers' England call-up, with senior international honours triggering another payment from Aston Villa as part of the transfer package that was agreed in January. Villa's Champions League qualification at the end of last season also triggered a payment.

Rogers admits getting his first England senior call-up is a “pinch-me” moment but believes he can hit even bigger heights.

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.”

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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.”