Wayne Rooney has emphatically backed Liam Rosenior, stating the coach has completed his "apprenticeship" and is ready to take the managerial helm at Chelsea.
Rosenior is reportedly set to leave his role as Strasbourg head coach to replace Enzo Maresca, having arrived in west London on Sunday for discussions with the Blues’ hierarchy.
Rosenior previously worked as an assistant under Rooney at Derby County before assuming interim charge in 2022 when the former England captain departed. He then spent two years as Hull City boss, where he was sacked in 2024 despite guiding the Tigers to the brink of the Sky Bet Championship play-offs.
The 41-year-old Englishman has garnered praise during his 18-month tenure at Strasbourg, a club sharing ownership with Chelsea, and now appears poised for his most high-profile appointment to date.
Speaking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney expressed his full confidence: "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, 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. And hopefully, very soon, we hear that he is the manager, because for young English coaches I think it’s massive. He’s taken chances and hopefully that pays off because I think Liam is as good a coach as I’ve ever worked with. His detail, how he approaches the day-to-day, he’s as good as I’ve worked with."
It comes after Chelsea parted company Enzo Maresca after a rapid fallout between the manager and the club’s hierarchy.
Maresca’s future had been uncertain as far back as September, and a poor start to the season, but significantly escalated over the last week.
The Italian had even made a known dissatisfaction with his situation public, having made a cryptic comment about his “worst 48 hours” at the club after the 2-0 win over Everton on 13 December.
This was understood to relate to his relationship with the hierarchy, and frustration over a perceived lack of support. The Independent had nevertheless been told that there was increased scrutiny on Maresca’s performance since September, despite trophy wins in the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup last season.
