LIAM Rosenior has been named as the new Chelsea manager. The highly respected Rosenoir emerged as the leading candidate, with the club’s owners also in charge of Strasbourg, where the 41-year-old currently works, writes Sam French.
He spent time in the Premier League and Football League, playing right back at clubs such as Bristol City, Fulham, Reading, Hull and Brighton. He then became a well-respected pundit as part of Sky Sport’s coverage of the EFL.
There is much more to be done to make football more diverse
After a spell as Brighton’s under-23s coach, he then spent three years at Derby – working with manager Phillip Cocu and, later, Wayne Rooney. As Derby’s interim manager in 2022, he managed 12 games and recorded 7 wins.
Liam Rosenior is a quality coach who knows the game inside out
This was before his first permanent manager’s job in November that year when he joined Hull City. He transformed their style of play and steered them away from relegation danger in his first season in charge.
In the 2023-24 season he was nominated for the Championship’s Manager of the Season award and guided the Tigers to a seventh placed finish. They had a good, young squad as many Premier League managers trusted Rosenior with their players on loan notably Liam Delap, Fabio Carvalho and Jaden Philogene. It was a season that also included a 1-0 win over eventual champions Leicester. Upon missing out on the playoffs on the final day of the season, Rosenior was sacked but was soon linked with other jobs.
In July 2024, he was appointed as the new head coach of French club Strasbourg, joining the BlueCo (Chelsea’s ownership group) club on a three-year deal. He replaced Patrick Vieira, who had left by mutual consent after finishing 13th. He finished his first season in France in 7th place, qualifying for the UEFA Conference League- a competition they have impressed in this season.
Rosenior has continued to build his profile as a coach comfortable with tactical detail, player development and long-term planning all traits that will likely appeal to Chelsea’s hierarchy.
Rooney worked closely with Rosenior at Derby and, speaking on the BBC, said that he believes the timing is right. “If he goes in there, he won’t disappoint. He’s been waiting for an opportunity like this,” Rooney explained. “If you don’t take it now, then you’re never going to take it. And I think he’s done his apprenticeship, he’s done his work to try and get to that job.”
“So he’ll have no doubts in his mind that he’s capable of doing that job, for young English coaches I think it’s massive.”
REPUTATION: Liam Rosenior was formerly in charge of Hull City
Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images
Rooney has worked with elite managers throughout his playing career: “I think Liam is as good a coach as I’ve ever worked with,” he said.
“His detail, how he approaches the day-to-day, he’s as good as I’ve worked with.”
Rooney also shared an insight into some of Rosenior’s more personal qualities, saying that “he’s also got a side which you don’t want to cross him as well.”
A manager of a club with the status of Chelsea will need to be able to command the respect of their squad and be able to make an impact on many levels.
Beyond Stamford Bridge, Rosenior’s appointment could carry broader significance. English managers haven’t always secured roles at Europe’s biggest clubs, and Rooney sees Rosenior as someone capable of breaking that pattern. “We don’t really see English managers at big clubs,” he said. “So he’d be leading the way for us.”
At 41, Rosenior represents a new generation and potentially a slightly different direction. Predecessor Enzo Maresca also spent time in the EFL with a successful stint at Leicester, but Rosenior is an English manager who knows the league and has learnt his trade.
We need them to succeed, simple as that
Chelsea are getting a young, Black, English manager and it an exciting appointment. If Rooney’s judgement is anything to go by, it would represent a gamble worth taking.
That significance has also been highlighted by Chelsea’s first Black player, Paul Canoville, who believes Rosenior’s appointment offers “hope” – not just for the club, but for the next generation.
Rosenior would become the 12th Black manager in Premier League history and only the fifth permanent Black British head coach in the competition.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Canoville said: “As Chelsea’s first Black player, I would be lying if I said this doesn’t move me. I broke ground back in the day and faced things no player should face, just because of the colour of my skin.”
He added: “Liam Rosenior is a quality coach who knows the game inside out, and that’s what matters most. I want to wish him and his staff all the best. We need them to succeed, simple as that.”
Canoville, who endured racist abuse during his playing career in the 1990s, now works closely with the club through his charitable foundation and believes progress has been made.
“We’ve had trailblazers since then, Paul Elliott as the first Black captain, Ken Monkou as the first Black player of the year, and Ruud Gullit showing we could manage at the highest level,” he said.
Highlighting Rosenior’s background, Canoville added: “What really strikes me about Liam is that he grew up and played not far from here – he knows this community. His dad, Leroy, has an MBE for his work tackling discrimination in sport.”
He believes Rosenior’s presence could inspire young people watching on. “When kids see someone like Liam managing their club, someone who looks like them, who’s from their area, who comes from a family that fights for what’s right – that’s powerful. It shows them the path is there.”
Canoville concluded: “It’s a massive moment for the club, for London and for every young person dreaming big. But now we have to back Liam and let the man do his work.”
Chelsea are currently 5th in the Premier League.
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