Wayne Rooney has delivered a powerful endorsement of Liam Rosenior, backing the young coach to succeed if handed the daunting task of becoming Chelsea's next head coach.
Rooney's Glowing Recommendation
Speaking on his BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, the former England captain left no doubt about his belief in Rosenior's abilities. "Liam was so important for me. He was incredible in his coaching ability," Rooney stated, reflecting on their time together at Derby County where Rosenior served as his assistant manager.
Rooney elaborated, highlighting the specific qualities that make Rosenior stand out. "His detail, how he approaches the day-to-day, he's as good as I've worked with... He's also got a side which you don't want to cross him as well. That's important." He concluded with a firm verdict: "If he goes in there, he won't disappoint."
The Rosenior Apprenticeship: From Derby to Strasbourg
Liam Rosenior, 41, first stepped into management as Derby County's interim boss in June 2022, taking over from Rooney himself. After a brief 12-game spell, he moved to Hull City for a 19-month tenure before his career took a significant continental turn.
In the summer of 2024, Rosenior was appointed head coach of French Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, a club owned by Chelsea's parent company BlueCo. His record there has been highly impressive:
- 63 matches in charge, with 31 wins and 15 draws.
- He led Strasbourg to a seventh-place finish in the 2024/25 season, securing European qualification.
- The club currently sits seventh in Ligue 1 this term and has topped their Conference League group with five wins and a draw from six games.
A Pivotal Moment for English Coaches
Rooney framed Rosenior's potential appointment as a breakthrough moment, emphasising the scarcity of English managers at elite clubs. "He's been waiting for an opportunity like this," Rooney said. "If you don't take it now, then you're never going to take it. And I think he's done his apprenticeship... So he'll have no doubts in his mind that he's capable of doing that job."
He added a hopeful note for the wider coaching community: "Hopefully we hear that he is the manager, because 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."
The Chelsea vacancy opened after the club parted ways with Enzo Maresca on New Year's Day 2026. Caretaker boss Calum McFarlane oversaw a 1-1 draw at Manchester City, with the Blues next set to face Fulham at Craven Cottage.
