Alan Pardew makes international prediction for ex-West Brom ace
West Brom can certainly boast some successful players who have been produced in the academy at The Hawthorns.
Alan Pardew has added another name to the list as he has made a prediction about what could happen to a former man on the international stage.
Although the Baggies have found themselves in hot water with PSR regulations of late, having a successful academy set-up can be a big benefit to generate income, a place that has produced some stars.
Pardew identifies next England star
Although West Brom supporters never got to see the talent of Morgan Rogers in action for the Baggies, with him failing to make a league appearance before his departure, the Baggies can certainly take some credit for his talent.
Rogers joined Albion at under nine level before working his way up through the age groups and making his senior debut as an FA Cup substitute.
Manchester City snapped him up from The Hawthorns but it is since making his move to Aston Villa that the 22-year-old has really shown his quality.
The attacking player already has two England caps but his impressive form with Villa this term has earned him a call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad.
The new boss takes charge of his first game on Friday (21 March) as England take on Albania and there is a good chance that Rogers could be part of the starting line-up.
Talking about the possibility live on talkSPORT (21 March, 10:27am), former Baggies boss Pardew gushed as he said: “I think particularly tonight, I think it will be great if Rogers plays because I think he’s one of those few players we have in the Premier League who has the pace and technical ability to carve open that low block so I would love to see him play tonight.
“I think he deserves it after his performances at Villa.”
Rogers going from strength to strength
West Brom may not be the biggest fans of Villa but the Premier League outfit are having a brilliant season both in the league and in cup competitions with Rogers proving to be a key part of that success.
| Compeition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 28 | 7 | 4 |
| Champions League | 10 | 3 | 2 |
| FA Cup | 3 | 2 | 1 |
As Tuchel gets going as England manager, he will be keen to show he is going to put his own spin on things and can bring a different dynamic to international football meaning Rogers could well be included from the start.
There is no doubt that the 22-year-old is well deserving of his place in the team and Albion supporters can certainly feel proud of another academy product showing the Black Country is not a bad place to start out in football.
It’s just a shame that Pardew didn’t notice his talent earlier on. In a different world, if the former boss had called Rogers up to the first team, he could well have had more appearances for the Baggies under his belt.