Chelsea star Morgan Rogers has revealed he cleared the air straight after his bust-up with Declan Rice during the London derby at the Emirates earlier this month.
The England teammates clashed after Arsenal midfielder Rice tripped Rogers, who angrily shoved him and was taunted by Arsenal fans shouting he should have signed for the Gunners instead.
Rogers insists he and Rice are fine
Rogers insists he is “absolutely fine” with Rice and that they shook hands straight after the game.
Rogers said: “It's just competitors competing and wanting to win. London derby, me getting absolutely dog’s abuse by the fans doesn’t help! All emotions come into one at that moment, but Dec and I are fine.
“We spoke about it after the game. We're completely fine. It's just one of those things in football, we want to win.
“That's actually a good thing — showing that we put friendships and everything aside and just want to win for our clubs and do what it takes. Sometimes tempers rise a little bit but it's all good.”
Rogers laughs off AI memes
Rogers and Rice became victims of memes which went viral online, with AI even creating a film of a dressing room bust-up. There were also deep fake quotes about the bust-up, and Rogers says he laughed them off after being sent them.
He added: “It’s quite funny being sent them. AI’s going to the next level now at the moment. Anything you do now can end up in anything. It’s quite funny. If it’s anything to do with me I just laugh about it.”
When asked about the video, he smiled: “Did I win?” When told he did, he added: “It’s about right then.
“I'm happy to be at Chelsea. Enjoying the new managers' ideas, enjoying the new players, the different surroundings. I think it was time for a new challenge, a change for me, and it's come at a good time. So I'm happy and enjoying it.”
Rogers on joining Chelsea and England ambitions
Rogers also says it is “mind-boggling” to think he can write his name into Chelsea’s history books. He snubbed the likes of Arsenal and Bayern Munich to join Chelsea in the summer as he felt it was the “right time” to push his career on to the next level for both club and country.
Three Lions star Rogers is also acutely aware of Chelsea’s England connection through the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Co. Rogers said: “That and also the fact that when I was growing up, Chelsea were one of the biggest teams, winning titles.
“If you look at when I was born to the titles that they won, in the prime years of me first watching football, it's your early Mourinho, late Mourinho and all those players you've mentioned Terry, Lampard. They're the ones that I looked up to in the Premier League.
“So when they come in and there's an opportunity for me to go there, it's mind-boggling to think that I can be part of that history of that club. I'm so excited by the prospect of doing something special at that club.
“Of course, there's still a way to go and we've got things to do, but the prospect of winning and competing at the highest level at Chelsea really caught me and I really wanted to go. That's why I'm there.”
The £117m price tag also brings pressure and expectation levels, but Rogers is confident and strong enough to deal with that pressure. In fact, Rogers relishes it as he wants to be judged on the biggest stage with England and Chelsea.
Rogers said: “I think people are gonna look at me differently. I think people are going to judge me on probably a higher pedestal of what I'm delivering, whether it's worth what I'm being talked about.
“But for me, I can't get too bogged down in that. It's just to me about playing my game, playing football. I can't control how people view me and how people look at me.
“I just want to give positive performances for my country and to achieve something special with my country, which is something I've wanted to do ever since I started playing football, and to be here now, I don't want that to pass me by.
“For my last game to be winning the Europa League final was just the perfect way for me to end an unbelievable time in my journey.
“I went from someone who no one really knew about to being an established player in the Premier League, which is something I owe to that club, those players and fans for making me feel like that.
“I just feel Chelsea brings that different level of pressure of having to win and perform each game.
“And then the calibre of players I'm playing with and training with every day, that's taken a whole new level and it's made me have to improve and get even better and to understand how to get to that next level as well myself. I'm in a great environment to do so and it's just about moving forward with the team.”
Rogers was not a nailed on starter at the World Cup but certainly made his mark in both the semi final and also key contributions from the bench.
He is rightly proud of those performances and puts his enjoyment level of his time at Chelsea so far at “ten out of ten” but also says England has been a huge experience for him.
Rogers added: “There's still ways to go for what I want to achieve in an England shirt as well. Of course I wanted to make a bigger impact at the World Cup, you always do, and that’s the good thing about football.
“You can always do better and do more, and that’s the exciting part for me moving forward. But I was pretty happy with how I played at the World Cup, how I gave a different outlook and feel when I was on the pitch. There are some moments I can be proud on, looking back.”
