Morgan Rogers feared he might not make it after Bournemouth loan

Morgan Rogers, now at Chelsea, admitted he once doubted whether he would ever reach the top after a run of loan moves that didn’t quite go to plan. Three years before becoming the Blues’ club-record signing for £117m, the winger said the transition to senior football took time and came through “difficult loans”.

From doubt to resilience

Bournemouth were the first stop of his two Championship loan spells while he was still a Manchester City player, with another stint later at Blackpool. In the Premier League-bound profile described by the BBC Sport piece, Rogers scored only once on loan—against Luton Town—and the article recalls that his stock dropped to £1m before things eventually turned.

Speaking on Chelsea’s club channel, Rogers said those spells taught him how to “take knocks”. He added that he needed the next challenge to be taken out of his comfort zone, saying the academy version of him “is not the same player” as the one now in professional football. “I couldn’t care less what people say about me. I just care about what I can control,” he said.

Appleton, Parker and Blackpool

The story also looks back at earlier development work. Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton told BBC Sport he saw Rogers arrive with a big personality and that, despite being 18, he spoke up in meetings. Appleton remembers him scoring six goals and providing two assists in 28 appearances after shortly after lockdown, including a moment before a playoff final where Rogers volunteered to help defend set pieces.

At Bournemouth under then-manager Scott Parker, Rogers started three matches and scored once as they secured promotion back to the Premier League. Later, his Blackpool loan was disrupted by a summer injury and then by a coaching change: Appleton said he was sacked two weeks after Rogers returned, following one appearance versus Watford. Rogers made 20 appearances and scored once as Blackpool were relegated to League One.