Image source: bbc.com
Wayne Rooney has given his full backing to Liam Rosenior’s potential appointment as Chelsea manager, describing his former Derby County assistant as “as good a coach as I’ve ever worked with” and stating he deserves the opportunity at Stamford Bridge.
Wayne Rooney Endorses Liam Rosenior as Perfect Choice for Chelsea Manager Position
Strasbourg manager Rosenior is the leading candidate to replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, with the 41-year-old arriving in London on Sunday night for advanced talks with the club’s hierarchy. The former England defender worked as Rooney’s assistant at Derby County in 2021 and 2022 before becoming interim manager following the Manchester United legend’s departure from Pride Park.
Speaking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show, the former England striker praised Rosenior’s coaching credentials and attention to detail. “His detail, how he approaches the day-to-day, he’s as good as I’ve worked with,” Rooney said. “Liam was so important for me. He was incredible in his coaching ability. I was more of the manager and dealing with players and everything. So I learned a lot from him from that point of view.”
Rooney expressed confidence that Rosenior has completed his managerial apprenticeship through his experiences at Derby, Hull City and now Strasbourg. “He’s been waiting for an opportunity like this. If you don’t take it now, then you’re never going to take it,” Rooney explained. “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.”
The former Manchester United striker highlighted the significance of Rosenior’s potential appointment for English coaches in the Premier League. “For young English coaches I think it’s massive. We don’t really see English managers at big clubs. So he’d be leading the way for us,” Rooney stated. Currently, only Eddie Howe at Newcastle, Scott Parker at Burnley and Sean Dyche at Nottingham Forest represent English managers in the Premier League.
Rosenior’s managerial journey began after his playing career ended at Brighton in 2017, having also represented Fulham, Reading and Hull City during a solid top-flight career as a right-back. After working as Brighton’s under-23s coach, he spent three years at Derby under Phillip Cocu before joining Rooney’s coaching staff. He later managed Hull City before his dismissal despite narrowly missing the Championship play-offs, subsequently moving to Strasbourg in 2024.
