Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers says loan spell struggles helped him find the ‘work rate, desire and attitude’ to reach the next level

Morgan Rogers admitted that loneliness during loan spells made him reevaluate his attitude as he embarks on a Champions League campaign just three years after playing in League One.

The Aston Villa forward has shone since joining Unai Emery’s side from Middlesbrough in January and will be integral when Villa meet the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus.

Emery has been so taken by Rogers’ performance that he questioned the FA’s wisdom in picking him for the England Under 21s, who face Austria in a friendly on Monday night.

The Manchester City academy product has earned rave reviews so far this term, particularly against Arsenal, and believes time spent away at Lincoln City, Bournemouth and Blackpool shaped him.

‘I struggled to get into the team at Bournemouth,’ Rogers said of a six-month spell consisting of just one Championship start. ‘I was far away from home. There were different challenges there where I probably grew up the most.

‘I was focusing on myself more rather than blaming other things. Bournemouth helped me to become more open to getting better regardless of what people think of you.

‘There was no reward of playing at the end of a week so how do you assess how you’re doing? Ultimately if you look at the bigger picture you want to be the best version of yourself in your prime.

‘It was about stepping stones. Days moaning and wasting away training, with disappointment, isn’t going to get it done. It’s about still coming in every day regardless of what people think because you don’t want to waste a day getting to that end goal.’

Rogers – who was living alone on the south coast – credits a friendship with Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham with making sure he buckled down.

‘When I was younger I wasn’t coasting but without being funny I was the best in certain teams,’ he added. ‘I didn’t have to have that mentality to be the best on the pitch and to challenge myself.

‘When I went on these loans you find out that there are levels above and that is where I found that out, needing to come with the same work rate, desire and attitude to be the best version of myself.

‘There were times where I didn’t because I thought I didn’t need to but looking back at it I know now what needs to be done to get to that level.’