'A real handful' - Morgan Rogers opens up on sharing Aston Villa dressing room with Jhon Duran

Once again the match-winner off the bench, Duran lit up Villa Park with an incredible first-time lob over Manuel Neuer against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. The Colombian striker made scoring the only goal of the game look effortless as Villa’s 41-year wait for elite European football on home soil ended in an historic victory.

Morgan Rogers, who has himself starred for Villa this campaign as a regular starter just in behind Ollie Watkins, has been seriously impressed by Duran’s impact. There’s no wonder why, as Duran has averaged a goal every 49.5 minutes for Villa this season. Many of his strikes have been of a world-class standard, too.

“He is unbelievable. The patience and concentration to stay focused and when you are called on, to do what he does and do it over and over and over again,” Rogers said of Duran after Villa’s win over Bayern.

“Teams know he is scoring but you can’t stop it because sometimes he doesn’t even know what he is doing himself. He is such a threat and such a problem, a real handful. I am so glad he is here. He is winning us games at the moment and long may it continue.”

Not only has Duran so often been the points-earning hero for Villa, but he’s also proved to be a positive influence in training at Bodymoor Heath. The Colombian can be a bit of a loose cannon at times but his positivity and good vibes have made a real impact.

“He is a good guy to have around the group,” Rogers added. “He lifts everyone’s spirits every day and reaps the rewards. You can see how happy we all are for him when he scores and that is because of the guy he is.”