According to English media reports, Morgan Rogers has said that several difficult loan spells taught him how to cope with setbacks and helped him mature as a person.

Three years before joining Chelsea for a club-record £117 million, Rogers' value had plummeted to £1 million, and he even questioned whether he would succeed.

Rogers' transition from academy to senior football was not smooth. According to his own account, a series of "difficult loans" helped him break through.

Bournemouth was one of two Championship loan spells for Rogers, the other being at Blackpool. Chelsea will face Bournemouth on Saturday at Stamford Bridge, though Rogers was still a Manchester City player at that time.

This was a setback for a player who had been selected for various England youth teams and was considered one of West Bromwich Albion's most promising academy prospects.

Rogers recently told Chelsea's club media that the experience taught him how to "take a hit." When asked what he learned through the English Football League system, he answered: "Everything."

Rogers then stated: "I needed the next challenge, to get out of my comfort zone, to find out what kind of player I was in professional football. If you look back now, the player I was in the academy and the player I am now are completely different. I have completely changed as a person, and I learned all of that during my loan spells."

"The most important thing I learned during those difficult loan spells was that I don't care what people say about me. I only care about what I can control."

At Lincoln City, Rogers played alongside Brennan Johnson, who now plays for Everton.

Rogers' first loan manager, Michael Appleton at Lincoln City, told BBC Sport: "I don't believe there is such a thing as a bad loan."

Appleton had worked in West Bromwich Albion's academy and knew Rogers was one of their most promising prospects. He saw it as his mission to bring Rogers to League One side Lincoln City.

Appleton recalls that although Rogers was only 18 when he joined, he had a strong personality and was not afraid to speak up in team meetings. Shortly after a brief lockdown, Rogers joined Lincoln City and went on to score 6 goals and provide 2 assists in 28 appearances.

Lincoln City reached the play-off final but ultimately lost to Blackpool. Appleton recalls a particular moment: "We were playing away at Portsmouth, and they had three or four very strong players. When we were setting up for a set-piece defense, we barely had anyone left to mark their tall players. Rogers didn't hesitate and said: 'Let me mark them. I'll head the ball out of our box.'"

"That was a teenager on his first loan spell. He was full of confidence because he was playing well, but his commitment to defensive duties was just as serious as his desire to make an impact in the opposition's box. For me, that showed a lot about him as a person and as a player."

However, after Rogers got a Championship opportunity at Bournemouth, he was only a starter in 3 matches and scored 1 goal under manager Scott Parker. The team eventually went back up to the Premier League.

Rogers had limited involvement at that time, and former scout Des Taylor, who brought him to the club, described him as a "late bloomer." Taylor said: "You could see his ability when you watched him at Lincoln City, but it wasn't clear what kind of player he would become. We saw his loan spell at Lincoln City transform him from a boy into a man."

"Coming out of Manchester City's academy, he proved he could handle the physicality. Unfortunately, we recruited him late in the transfer window. We saw him as a number 10, but Parker didn't use the number 10 position very much. I think it was the wrong time for him to play, because he didn't get playing time, and even when he did play, it wasn't in the position he wanted. He was a victim of a transition period. It wasn't Scott's fault, but it didn't work out."

His former Bournemouth teammate Steve Cook added: "Bournemouth had the chance to sign him permanently, reportedly for £9 million, but that didn't happen in the end. It didn't stop him. First of all, he's a really good person. He's also very energetic off the pitch, and I think that character is what has taken him to where he is now."

"He's a good example that not every development path is smooth. You need setbacks to become hungrier and to appreciate what you have. He trains hard, listens well, is willing to learn, and wants to prove others wrong."

Rogers' loan spell at Bournemouth was cut short, and he returned to academy football. He then suffered an injury and didn't join Blackpool as a loan player until January the following year.

This move reunited Rogers with Appleton in the Championship, but Appleton was sacked after just two weeks in charge, with Mick McCarthy taking over.

Rogers made a total of 20 appearances, both as a starter and substitute. The team was eventually relegated to League One after appointing a third manager in April, with Rogers scoring 1 goal.

Appleton added: "Unfortunately, he played one match against Watford, then I was sacked. That wasn't good for either of us. I had been very patient, waiting for him to recover from his summer injury, and we finally reconnected, then I left the club."

"I don't think he got as much playing time as he would have liked after that, but he handled it professionally and with the right attitude."

Rogers said that period was "difficult." He tried not to compare himself to former teammates who had progressed, to avoid seeing others get opportunities before him. He briefly questioned whether he would succeed, but his family and friends kept him grounded.

Rogers' "best friend" in football, Palmer, was already established at Manchester City without needing to be loaned out, and later joined Chelsea for £42.5 million. Meanwhile, Rogers moved to Middlesbrough for £1 million.

During his League Cup campaign at Middlesbrough, Rogers scored 5 goals and provided 3 assists in 6 matches, helping the team reach the semi-final and attracting attention from Aston Villa. Villa made an initial offer of £8 million in the winter transfer window. At that time, several of Rogers' former West Bromwich Albion coaches also held senior positions in Villa's academy system.

However, by then, his close friend Palmer had been called up to the England squad thanks to his consistent goals and assists at Chelsea. Appleton said: "Morgan is a good example that a career is not always a straight line."

From a potential star valued at £9 million, to a risky signing at £1 million, and finally joining Chelsea for £117 million, Rogers' journey shows that young players also need to learn how to handle setbacks.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

Situs web AF kini hadir! Lihat berita lengkap, komentar, detail pertandingan, dan statistik di komputer Anda. Kunjungi: www.allfootballapp.com