Rogers lauds Champions League hat-trick as career high

Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers has said his Champions League hat-trick against Celtic is ‘definitely the highlight’ of his career so far.

Rogers scored three times as Aston Villa beat Celtic 4-2 at Villa Park on Wednesday night, a result that secured the club’s qualification to the Round of 16.

The 22-year-old scored twice inside the first five minutes during an electric start, only for the Scottish champions to level before half-time through Adam Idah’s brace.

Ollie Watkins put Villa back in front on the hour, before missing a penalty seven minutes later. The forward then regained possession in a dangerous area to tee up Rogers to slam home in stoppage time and complete his hat-trick.

The win saw Villa climb above Atalanta and into the top eight, securing automatic passage to the Round of 16.

“Definitely the highlight of my career so far,” Rogers said to UEFA.

“It’s a crazy experience and a crazy game to be a part of. It’s a massive achievement and we should be proud of ourselves.”

Rogers became the first player in Champions League history to score twice inside the opening five minutes of a game and said Villa had sought to make a quick-fire start.

“It’s something we had to address starting games behind and giving ourselves a mountain to climb. Still something to work on but the good start is something to put us on the right foot.

“I felt we were on top for the large majority. We scored two goals and that’s what changed the game. We are a bit shorthanded at the back at the moment. We got the win.

“We had to dig deep, we know we can, we do it in the Premier League every week. We thoroughly deserve it. We’ve got the hunger and the drive and we’ve got a manager who pushes us every day.”

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