‘Suits him’ - England boss Thomas Tuchel hints at intriguing position change for Aston Villa ace

Thomas Tuchel has hailed Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers following the versatile attacking midfielder’s first England start.

Rogers played the entire game as the Three Lions swept aside Latvia by three goals to nil at Wembley Stadium, continuing a perfect beginning to Tuchel’s reign following a 2-0 victory over Albania three days earlier.

It was a brilliant night for Villa as three of the club’s players started the same game for England for the first time since 2009. Rogers, deployed as a central midfielder before later moving out to the right flank, was joined by left winger Marcus Rashford and central defender Ezri Konsa in the XI.

Although Rogers didn’t directly contribute to any of England’s three goals on the night, the 22-year-old certainly made his mark as he completed a match-high six dribbles and matched Jude Bellingham’s total of six shots.

Thomas Tuchel to experiment with Morgan Rogers

Tuchel, delighted with how Rogers played, has hinted Villa’s number 27 could start many more matches in the future with a new role already lined up.

Villa boss Unai Emery began using Rogers as a number 10 but decided to shift him to the right flank following the arrival of Marco Asensio, a tactical switch which has paid off so far. Tuchel could now take a leaf out of Emery’s book.

“Good. I’m happy with him in general. He deserved to start as he trained well and plays very well for Villa,” Tuchel said of Rogers after the match.

“I think in a match where we are so dominant, it can suit him more to play from the wing. Once we moved him out wide, he seemed more comfortable with his first touches and was able to make more dynamic movements.

“There was more space there than in the half-space. I’m learning about the players and the games – and that's good,” Tuchel said.

Morgan Rogers living the dream

Having fulfilled a lifelong career ambition at such an early age, Rogers can’t wait to add to his current tally of four England caps. Playing alongside childhood best mate Bellingham, Rogers thrives when he’s got the freedom to run at defenders, adding much-needed impetus to attacks.

Reflecting on his first full 90 minutes for his nation, Rogers told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s a dream come true and a moment to remember, for sure. We knew it would be difficult and that they would defend well in a low block. Our quality showed and I’m delighted.

“That’s what you want to do when you play football, you don’t want to sit on the bench. Thankfully, I got my chance, and hopefully, I can get many more in the future. I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t score. I’m not always going to get it right, but if I keep doing the right things, good things will come from that,” he said.

In other news, national newspapers gave Rogers mixed reviews after his first start, with one publication controversially claiming he “didn’t make any impact”. Read on for more.