Morgan Rogers: 10 facts you need to know about new Chelsea singing
By Joel Masibo, July 23, 2026Before Morgan Rogers begins his Chelsea career, here are 10 interesting details that reveal more about the Blues’ latest signing and the journey that has shaped him into one of England’s brightest young talents.
Chelsea confirmed the arrival of the England international this week, with the 23-year-old joining Xabi Alonso’s squad wearing the No.17 shirt. While supporters are already familiar with his performances on the pitch, there are plenty of fascinating facts about his background and career that many may not know.
1. Accomplished cricketer
One surprising detail is that football was not Rogers’ only sporting talent growing up. During his school years, he was also an accomplished cricketer and was invited to attend trials with Worcestershire. However, he chose to focus entirely on football instead.
2. Friends with Bellingham
Rogers also shares a long-standing friendship with fellow England international Jude Bellingham. Both were raised in the Dudley area of the West Midlands and developed their friendship long before representing England together on the international stage.
3. Football promise
His football promise became evident at a young age. In 2017, while representing Sandwell Academy’s Under-16 side, Rogers contributed both a goal and an assist as his team defeated Ravenswood School 3-0 in the English National Schools Cup final at Stoke City’s bet365 Stadium.
4. Loan spells
While contracted to Manchester City, Rogers gained valuable experience through loan spells. One of those came at Bournemouth, where he played under former Chelsea midfielder Scott Parker and helped the Cherries secure promotion back to the Premier League during the 2021/22 season. Bournemouth have remained in England’s top division ever since.
5. Relationship with Chelsea
Chelsea have featured prominently in several key moments of Rogers’ career. He found the net for Manchester City in the 2020 FA Youth Cup final alongside Cole Palmer as City lifted the trophy. Later, while playing for Middlesbrough, Rogers again scored at Stamford Bridge during the 2023/24 Carabao Cup semi-finals, although Chelsea ultimately advanced. His impressive League Cup campaign saw him score five goals in six appearances, finishing as the competition’s leading scorer.
6. Link with Palmer
Another interesting link between Rogers and Palmer involves the now-famous “cold” celebration. Palmer first performed the celebration as a tribute to his close friend after Rogers used it when scoring Middlesbrough’s winner against his former club West Bromwich Albion in December 2023.
7. Champions League history
The forward also made Champions League history with Aston Villa. In January 2024, he struck a hat-trick against Celtic in a thrilling 4-2 victory, with two of the goals arriving inside the opening five minutes. At 22 years and 187 days old, Rogers became the second-youngest English player to score a Champions League hat-trick, behind only Wayne Rooney. Remarkably, they were also his first goals in Europe’s elite competition.
8. Europa League history
Silverware soon followed. Last season, Rogers helped Aston Villa capture the UEFA Europa League title for the first time in the club’s history. He scored in the 3-0 final victory over Freiburg and was rewarded for his outstanding campaign by being named UEFA’s Player of the Season.
9. Relationship with West Bromwich Albion
Away from professional football, Rogers’ roots lie in Halesowen, where he grew up in a family of devoted West Bromwich Albion supporters. His connection with the Baggies eventually led him to join the club’s academy when he was just seven years old.
10. Senior debut
His senior debut came while still only 16 years old. Just days after receiving his GCSE results, Rogers was included in West Brom’s first-team squad and made his debut as a substitute in an FA Cup fourth-round replay against Brighton & Hove Albion. On that occasion, he shared the pitch with current Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo, who was also playing in the match.