Former Middlesbrough man Morgan Rogers got his first taste of Championship League football for Aston Villa on Tuesday.
After a four-year stint with Manchester City, Morgan Rogers joined Middlesbrough in July 2023 for around £1.1m.
Michael Carrick was in desperate need of attacking reinforcements following the exits of Aaron Ramsey, Cameron Archer and 29-goal man, Chuba Akpom.
Rogers took some time to get up to speed at the Riverside Stadium but eventually became an integral part of Boro’s first-team squad.
The 22-year-old notched 33 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, finding the net on seven occasions and providing nine assists.
However, Middlesbrough were only able to keep hold of the ex-Sky Blue for half a season as Premier League outfit Aston Villa snapped him up in the most recent winter window.
Unai Emery paid an initial £11m for the player but Middlesbrough will earn £5m in add-ons for Rogers once several conditions are met.
Boro’s Head of Football Kieran Scott recently praised Rogers, outlining the ‘massive potential’ they saw in the England U21 international.
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Former Middlesbrough man Morgan Rogers makes Champions League debut for Aston Villa
That potential has quickly been realised, with Rogers’ rise over the last nine months pretty remarkable.
The attacking midfield is now a regular starter for Villa, playing every minute of Premier League action for the club so far this season.
And on Tuesday evening, Rogers did what very few ex-Boro men ever get the chance to do, play in the Champions League.
Aston Villa kicked off their European venture away to Swiss outfit Young Boys on Tuesday, September 17th.
Villa came away with a 3-0 win and while Rogers did not score, his stats coming out of the game are staggering.
The former Middlesbrough star had the most touches in the opposition box (11), won the most duels (seven), created the most chances (four) and completed the most take-ons (four).
Who will be the next breakout star for Middlesbrough
Rogers’ journey from the Championship to the Champions League in less than a year is quite remarkable.
But the Teessiders have a number of stars on their books who could quite easily follow in the footsteps of the Villa standout.
Dutch centre-back Rav van den Berg has been backed to play Champions League football at some point in his future.
18-year-old Ben Doak is expected to compete in Europe’s premier club competition when he returns to Liverpool.
And with top clubs like Tottenham Hotspur showing an interest in Hayden Hackney this year, there is a chance the Redcar-born star has Champions League football in his future.
Boro also already have one player on their books with Champions League experience.
Two of Micah Hamilton’s three senior appearances for Man City came in the competition, with the 20-year-old scoring one and assisting one in a 3-2 win over Red Star Belgrade last year.