pwshub.com

Aston Villa star singled out for 'turning Declan Rice inside out'

An Aston Villa star has been singled out for praise by Jamie Redknapp, who compared the midfielder to 'Jonah Lomu in his prime'.

Villa lost for the first time in the Premier League this season, defeated 2-0 by Arsenal despite being the better side for much of the game on match day two of the new season.

Among those to shine was Morgan Rodgers, who was starting his 13th game for the club since his February move from Middlesbrough, and the 22-year-old was at the centre of all his side did well in the game.

It was he who was picked out as one of the better players by Redknapp, who, speaking on Sky Sports, was full of praise for Villa's man. 

An Aston Villa star has been singled out for praise by Jamie Redknapp on the back of his performance against Arsenal

'There's a lot of things you love about him,' Redknapp began. 'I enjoyed his performnces last year when he got into the Villa.

'You look at his size, that amount of skill, pace, power. It is so difficult to stop. He gave Partey nightmares, he couldn't live with him. Rice, he turns inside out about three times in a second.

'He was unplayable, absolutely magnificent. He is 22. Sometimes when he picked the ball up and ran, it was like watching Jonah Lomu in his prime.'

Rogers refused to be drawn on any potential international ambitions post-match. All smiles when the question ws raised, he told Sky Sports that he hadn't thought about senior England recognition despite interim manager Lee Carsley being in the crowd.

The midfielder has been capped at various youth levels for England, including twice by Carsley at Under-21 level, though could be in line for a call-up for the next squad, which will be named next week.

Lee Hendrie, meanwhile, also speaking on Sky, challenged Rogers to get even better in his play. 

'He's got a glide an real exciting balance about him when he gets the ball, and that's what I really like about him,' Hendrie said. 'Unai Emery said he wants to get him fit and strong - he looks fit and strong and he has caused top players problems there.

'I love the fact he has that drive from midfield. I will say though, if he can add goals to his game. We se so many players to get in those good areas, but have they got those goals and assists?' 

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Related stories
1 month ago - Foden scored 19 goals and made eight assists during a Premier League campaign which climaxed with his side lifting their fourth consecutive title.
1 month ago - Welcome to the world of the football kit launch in 2024. The days of Tony Adams or Alan Shearer posing, military-style, in their new club shirts belong to another era.
1 month ago - Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates from Arsenal vs Wolves, plus updates from the other 3pm games featuring Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Everton.
1 month ago - Making a Premier League matchday squad is a tall order. But for every Dan Burn and Peter Crouch, there are hundreds of players past and present of a shorter stature.
3 weeks ago - Mail Sport - with help from our friends over at Fantasy Football Hub - have forged a panel of experts to predict the outcome of each Premier League fixture ahead of the opening weekend.
Other stories
1 hour ago - The 61-year-old steered Australia to their best ever finish in a World Cup when they narrowly lost to Argentina in the round of 16 in Qatar - earning him a contract extension.
1 hour ago - INSIDE THE EVERTON CAMP: One phrase uttered by an Everton powerbroker this month pops into mind every time one thinks of the negativity stinking out the club.
3 hours ago - After a dull first period, Arteta 's side faced an early second-half concession when the referee awarded the home side a penalty following a challenge from Thomas Partey on Ederson .
3 hours ago - ISAAN KHAN IN BERGAMO: Mikel Arteta hailed David Raya's miraculous double save as 'one of the best I've seen in my career' with Arsenal rescuing an unlikely point against Atalanta.
3 hours ago - With an exquisite piece of footwork in the build-up to the second goal in a 4-0 win at Feyenoord, the Nigeria striker earned the praise of his teammates - and plenty of fans on social media.