Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn has picked out one teammate who has ‘surprised’ him in training.
Aston Villa head to West Ham on Saturday evening for the opening match of their Premier League campaign.
Paul Merson has predicted a ‘difficult’ game for both sides and expects Villa to come away with a draw while Roy Keane believes Unai Emery’s side will start their season off in a positive fashion.
The Villans have endured a difficult pre-season, losing four of their last five matches, including defeats against Columbus Crew, RB Leipzig and Club America while securing a victory over Athletic Bilbao.
It isn’t ideal preparation, especially when they’ve been without key stars Emi Martinez, Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa for most of it however, there is one player who can make all the difference against West Ham, with John McGinn waxing lyrical over his performances in training.
John McGinn explains why Aston Villa ace Morgan Rogers has ‘surprised’ him in training
Following his move from Middlesborough in January, Morgan Rogers grew into a prominent role under Emery as the 22-year-old flourished in attacking midfield and on the left wing.
Whilst Villa confirmed their place in the Champions League, Rogers ended the campaign with a flurry, scoring in three of his final five matches, including strikes against Bournemouth and Chelsea.
A powerful runner on and off the ball, who scores goals and combines with his teammates in the final third, Rogers has become a key weapon for Emery.
The England under-21 international has also carried that form into pre-season, impressively leading the line in place of Ollie Watkins while leaving teammate McGinn stunned over his ability in training.
“His confidence is growing, he’s so strong, so powerful, he even surprised me a bit when he first signed and his first time in training,” McGinn said as per Birmingham Live. “He has been outstanding. That’s great to see, he’s playing football with a smile on his face and I wish I was that good at his age.”
Should Morgan Rogers start against West Ham?
With Rogers taking his ‘outstanding’ training performances onto the pitch, the Villa youngster will now be desperate to start against West Ham.
Emery will have worries over Watkins lack of minutes in pre-season and could choose to place him on the bench, by choosing to play Rogers in one of his attacking roles instead.
The former Manchester City player has been deployed as a left-winger or as a striker during pre-season, with Emery choosing to experiment with using multiple formations.
He’ll likely start on the left flank against the Hammers, although he’s arguably better in a central role, where he can use his pace and power to drive past his markers with ease.
Nonetheless, on the evidence of last season and how he’s matured into Emery’s system, Rogers deserves to see his name on the team sheet on Saturday evening.
