Cole Palmer<\/a> is something the pair have spoken about for years. Rogers smiles: \u2018He\u2019s been ringing and texting me non-stop in the last few days!\u2019 <\/p>\nThe attacking midfielders have known each other for a decade, but the coming season will be their first at domestic level playing senior football for the same team. It\u2019s a thrilling prospect. <\/p>\n
Tall, broad-shouldered and bubbly, Rogers is immediately at ease as he takes in his new surroundings at Cobham. He carries himself with the air of a man who has made an excellent decision in his footballing journey. Now he can\u2019t wait to be a \u2018difference-maker\u2019 for Chelsea on the pitch. .<\/p>\n
Accompanying Rogers at our training ground are several family members. He is indebted to them for helping him reach this point. <\/p>\n
\u2018They gave me everything, really,\u2019 says Rogers, who turns 24 on Sunday. <\/p>\n
\u2018They gave me a platform to play football, to express myself. They took me to every game and supported me along the way. It means everything that they can be here as well, because I wouldn\u2019t be here without them.<\/p>\n
\u2018My family were always big believers in trying to push me to just be free and be happy, and whatever decisions I make, wherever I end up, that I\u2019m always that \u2013 because that would be the best version of me.\u2019<\/p>\n
Rogers is engaging and thoughtful throughout the interview. When he says he loves a laugh but also enjoys being involved in proper debates and discussions, you believe him. We ask what challenges he has overcome on his journey. He gives it serious consideration before replying. <\/p>\n
\u2018There have been plenty, really: loans not going well, not playing, in and out of teams, normal struggles living away from home. <\/p>\n
\u2018My loans [from Manchester City to Lincoln, Bournemouth and Blackpool] were massive for me when it came to learning how to deal with adversity on the fly: to experience not playing, or what it was like to fight to win games, or to fight relegation. They helped me learn how to use setbacks in a positive way and fuel me to go again. <\/p>\n
\u2018I overcame them at quite a young age, I’d say, and that put me in good stead to be where I am now, and to push on and feel like I’m in a position where I’ve seen a lot of football at a young age. <\/p>\n
\u2018Improving my mentality was the most important thing,\u2019 he adds. \u2018It\u2019s about getting experiences as quickly as possible and learning how to adapt and to adjust and to be the best version of yourself. Those things were massive for me. They haven’t always felt like it in the moment, but looking back at them, they’ve helped me shape who I am.\u2019<\/p>\n
So too has Rogers\u2019 elder brother, Daniel. He is a therapist who has worked closely with Chelsea in the past at Stamford Bridge and Cobham. <\/p>\n
Naturally, Daniel\u2019s words of wisdom and expertise on such an important subject have rubbed off on his brother. Since he moved to Aston Villa, established himself as one of the Premier League\u2019s star players and represented England, including at this summer\u2019s World Cup, the scrutiny on Rogers has intensified. That brings hitherto unknown challenges. <\/p>\n
\u2018He has helped me massively, sometimes without me even realising, just from living with him day to day,\u2019 says Rogers. <\/p>\n
‘He is always challenging my decisions, challenging what I\u2019m thinking naturally. The person he is helps me become a better person. It helps me understand myself more, which is so important because you can get lost and a bit stuck if things don’t go your way.<\/p>\n
\u2018All players go through so much. People might forget that we’re humans at the end of the day, so disappointment for us is the same as disappointment for anyone else. To talk about it and to help make sure your mind’s right and in a good place is the most important thing. <\/p>\n
\u2018To have that guidance and that support from him means everything to me. That’s why I say my family is so close. Not just him, all my family, but living with him, I obviously get the benefits, so it\u2019s really nice.’<\/p>\n
Now it is Chelsea who will reap the rewards of being able to call upon Rogers\u2019 outstanding ability and love of the game. For that, you can\u2019t wipe the smile off his face \u2013 and you can\u2019t wipe the smile off ours, either. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fresh from completing his move to Chelsea, Morgan Rogers opens up on childhood, challenges and the core…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":778154,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[403,99],"class_list":["post-778153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=778153"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778153\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/778154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=778153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=778153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=778153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}