According to a report by The Chelsea Chronicle on Sunday, November 1, 2026, former Chelsea winger Joe Cole has admitted that he underestimated Morgan Rogers after the forward produced another outstanding display in the Blues' 2-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Cole acknowledged that he had failed to recognise the full extent of Rogers' abilities following the England international's British-record £117 million transfer to West London.

Rogers gave Chelsea the lead against Manchester United with a brilliant individual goal, using his strength, composure and technical quality to get past the opposition defence before calmly chipping the ball into the net.

The England international has now recorded 10 goal contributions in his first 12 appearances for Chelsea, highlighting the immediate impact he has made since joining the club.

His impressive statistics place him among a select group of Chelsea players who have managed to register at least 10 goal contributions within their first 12 appearances. Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard also reached the milestone, recording nine, 10 and 11 goal contributions respectively.

Speaking on TNT Sports after Chelsea's victory, Cole openly admitted that his initial judgement of Rogers had been inaccurate.

"I'm guilty of not realising how good a player he is. He is a top player," Cole said.

He continued: "You see the performance today, the goal, he shrugs people aside. His strength, his ability, his quality, he's a fantastic footballer."

Beyond his goals and assists, Rogers has continued to demonstrate his importance to Chelsea's attacking play under manager Xabi Alonso. The midfielder has increasingly taken responsibility for creating opportunities and influencing matches in the final third.

His contributions have become even more valuable amid Chelsea's current injury problems, with Emi Martinez, Reece James, Maxence Lacroix and Joao Pedro among the players currently unavailable.

Cole enjoyed a distinguished career at Stamford Bridge, making 282 appearances and contributing to 86 goals. During his time at the club, he won three Premier League titles, three FA Cups and one League Cup.

However, Rogers is now establishing his own impressive legacy at Chelsea, having quickly emerged as one of the club's most influential attacking players.