Morgan Rogers will follow in the footsteps of Eden Hazard and wear the number 17 shirt at Chelsea, after his £117m switch from Aston Villa. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder left Villa and their forthcoming Champions League campaign to join Chelsea, calling it an exciting project. The deal made him the most expensive British player of all time, a status recognized by Chelsea with the carefully selected shirt number.
Big Shoes to Fill
Rogers will have big shoes to fill when he reports for duty in west London, taking on the number 17 previously worn by Hazard, Pedro, and Mateo Kovacic. Andrey Santos, who joined Manchester United from Chelsea for about £50m earlier this month, was the last to don the shirt. Raheem Sterling, Mohamed Salah, and Emmanuel Petit also had stints in the number 17 jersey.
Rogers' Excitement
Although Rogers may not don the famous blue shirt until next month, he is looking forward to getting started. "I'm so excited," said Rogers. "For me, Chelsea are the biggest club in London and a club I've always admired since I was a kid. I'm really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we've got and where the club is heading. That's why I'm here and I can't wait to get started."
Rogers also discussed conversations with Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso: "I've had a few conversations with him and I think it's important for me to be here that I need to understand what the manager's like, how he is and how he wants to operate. It very much fits with the way I see the game, the way I want to play, and the way I want to be me, and be free and express myself. Him being a part of that was a massive factor in me being here."
Reunion with Cole Palmer
On playing with Cole Palmer, whom he grew up with, Rogers said: "I've known Cole since I was about 14, first in the England [youth] teams and then when we were both at Man City together. We've been speaking about this for a while; we always would love to have played together. So, for it to happen, we're both excited. He's non-stop ringing my phone, texting me, and I can't wait. I think that's probably the most special thing, playing with one of your best friends and being around him every day. It's something I'm really excited about."
