Wayne Rooney believes Liam Rosenior has earned the opportunity to manage Chelsea, describing the Strasbourg head coach as one of the best coaches he has worked with during his own managerial career.
Rosenior has emerged as the leading candidate to take charge at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea and Strasbourg sharing the same ownership. The 41-year-old travelled to London on Sunday night for talks with the Premier League club, with negotiations understood to be at an advanced stage as Chelsea seek a replacement for Enzo Maresca.
The Englishman worked closely with Rooney at Derby County between 2021 and 2022, serving as assistant manager before stepping into the interim head coach role in League One following Rooney’s departure.
Rosenior subsequently took charge of Hull City, where he narrowly missed out on a place in the Championship play-offs before being dismissed, and he joined Strasbourg in 2024.
Speaking on the Wayne Rooney Show on BBC, Rooney was unequivocal in his praise.
“He’s taken chances, and hopefully that pays off because I think Liam is as good a coach as I’ve ever worked with,” Rooney said. “His attention to detail and the way he approaches the day-to-day work — he’s right up there with the best I’ve worked with.”
Since leaving Derby, Rooney has held managerial roles at DC United, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle, and now works in the media alongside his BBC podcast commitments.
Reflecting on their time together, Rooney highlighted Rosenior’s influence on his own development.
“Liam was so important for me,” he said. “He was incredible in his coaching ability. I dealt more with managing players and the wider picture, so I learned a lot from him in that sense. Overall, I think he’s done an excellent job.”
Rooney added that he has “no doubts” Rosenior would be capable of succeeding at Chelsea.
Maresca departed the Blues after 18 months in charge following a breakdown in relations with the club’s ownership, creating an opening for a new head coach.
Rosenior’s last involvement in the Premier League came as a player with Brighton in 2017. A right-back, he enjoyed a steady career that also included top-flight spells with Fulham, Reading and Hull City, while spending much of his playing career in the EFL.
That pathway has shaped his coaching journey. After working with Brighton’s under-23s, he spent three years at Derby County under Phillip Cocu and later Rooney, laying the foundations for his progression into senior management.
“He’s also got a side to him where you don’t want to cross him,” Rooney added. “That’s important. If he goes in there, he won’t disappoint. He’s been waiting for an opportunity like this.
“If you don’t take it now, you never will. He’s done his apprenticeship and put the work in to get to this level. He’ll have complete belief that he’s capable of doing the job.”
Rooney also underlined the broader significance of Rosenior’s potential appointment.
“We don’t really see English managers at big clubs,” he said. “If this happens, he’d be leading the way for young English coaches, and that would be massive.”
Currently, the only English managers in the Premier League are Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, Burnley’s Scott Parker and Nottingham Forest’s Sean Dyche.
