Morgan Rogers has started his third successive England match and Roy Keane has been impressed with the Aston Villa forward
John Townley Aston Villa correspondent and Sam Truelove Content Editor 16:00, 15 Oct 2025
Roy Keane has reinforced his comparison of Morgan Rogers to Paul Gascoigne, confessing that the Aston Villa attacker is a "nightmare" for opposition players. The 23-year-old, who has been linked with both Arsenal and Chelsea, earned his third consecutive England start on Tuesday evening, featuring for over an hour in the Three Lions' commanding 5–0 triumph over Latvia in Riga.
Rogers netted his maiden goal for England in the victory against Wales, having previously provided an assist in the comprehensive 5–0 thrashing of Serbia during the September international break. Whilst Rogers had found it difficult to hit top gear earlier this campaign for Villa, he is now displaying promising signs of rediscovering his finest form.
"He just causes confusion," Keane said on ITV, as per Birmingham Live. "He plays in pockets. When he just stands still, you can't get to him. He is good enough on the half turn to then play a quality pass.
"He has strength and that physique. He has awareness. He is a nightmare for a midfielder or defender. We can talk all day about getting close [to him], but when you give him an opportunity he will take it.
"He's enjoying it and I said this before. Sometimes he reminds me of Gazza in his prime. He is strong and powerful. He holds people off.
"He looks like he enjoys playing for England. When we have spoken before, especially about players in attacking positions, that it can be a heavy jersey to carry, he looks like he is really enjoying it. When you are an attacker and impacting games, he looks really comfortable out there.
"There are lots of players who can play in that position. England have some unbelievable options, but Rogers looks like he is taking it all in his stride. I've got the jersey and I'm going to hold onto it."
Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with Rogers, who has become an integral part of Unai Emery’s starting XI. He managed 30 goal contributions in 54 appearances in all competitions last season and it's said Villa value the midfielder at more than £80million.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright is also a huge fan of the former Middlesbrough man. "You can see a bit of everything," he said. "He can come in, or play as a 10. He links through. He can win the ball back and is progressive with it. He is the full package."
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