Liam Rosenior is as good a coach as Wayne Rooney has worked with and deserves the chance to be Chelsea manager – with the former England striker fondly remembering their time together at Derby County.
Strasbourg boss Rosenior is the leading candidate to become the new b oss at Chelsea, who have the same owners as the French club.
The 41-year-old arrived in London on Sunday night to hold talks with Chelsea over replacing Enzo Maresca, with negotiations at advanced stage.
Englishman Rosenior, was Rooney’s assistant boss at Derby in 2021 and 2022, and he became the interim Rams boss in League One after the Manchester United legend’s departure.
He then managed Hull City before being sacked, despite just missing out on the Championship play-offs, moving to Strasbourg in 2024.
“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 on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show.
“His detail, how he approaches the day-to-day, he’s as good as I’ve worked with.”
Rooney has managed DC United, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle since leaving Derby and now works in the media, including his BBC podcast.
“Liam was so important for me,” said Rooney. “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 and then I think he’s done a great job as a whole.”
