MICHAEL CARRICK revealed he congratulated Morgan Rogers on his Champions League success – a year after benching him.
Boro took a punt on the then Man City youngster when paying £1.2 million for him in July 2023.
After initially taking a few weeks to find his feet at the Riverside, the 22-year-old attacker’s form soon picked up and he left the North East club after just six months.
Aston Villa snapped him up in February in a deal that could rise to £15m and he instantly shone on the Premier League stage to help Unai Emery’s side finish fourth.
Now Rogers is starring in the Champions League and was one of Villa’s best performers in Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich.
It marked a huge 12 month turnaround for the England U21 international as exactly one year to the day earlier he only appeared for the final three minutes of a 2-0 Boro win.
After watching his display against Bayern, his former Boro manager Carrick said: “I actually messaged him and said this time last year you were coming on as sub against Cardiff. It’s probably my fault [he left] for not starting him.
“It’s fantastic to see. We’d have loved to have kept him longer, and I told him that at the time, but the way that he’s kicked on is a credit to him.
“He was a joy to work with and try and help and he’s gone to a whole new level now. Just watching him on Wednesday, he looks so at home and comfortable in them surroundings.
“He’s not fazed by it and he’s getting the recognition he deserves.”
FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS
As part of the deal that took him to Villa, Boro would receive a further payment if Rogers makes an England appearance.
And Carrick backed him to achieve that, saying: “If he keeps doing the right things, for sure.
“I do think that to get in the England squad you have to earn that over time and he’s certainly on track to take that next step as long as he keeps doing the right things. And, at the moment, he’s doing just great.”
Carrick is hoping he can lead his current Boro players to the top-flight to play against Rogers.
They travel to Watford on Saturday, managed by his ex-Man Utd team-mate Tom Cleverley, on the back of successive victories over Stoke and West Brom.
Carrick said: “Of course it’s a test. Every game is a test. I know Tom very well. The work that he’s doing is good.
“They’re a good team and we know we’re in for a tough game. But we’re going there confident within reason and we need to be near our best again to try and get the right result.”
