Wayne Rooney has thrown his weight behind Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior as Chelsea continue their search for a new head coach, insisting the Englishman is one of the finest coaches he has ever worked with.
Rosenior, 41, has emerged as a leading contender for the vacant Chelsea job following the departure of Enzo Maresca, with the Premier League side sharing ownership ties with Ligue 1 club Strasbourg, where Rosenior has been in charge since 2024.
The former Hull City manager worked closely with Rooney at Derby County between 2021 and 2022, serving as his assistant during one of the most turbulent periods in the club’s history. After Rooney’s exit, Rosenior stepped up as Derby’s interim boss before securing a permanent managerial role at Hull City.
Speaking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show, the former Manchester United and England striker was full of praise for his former colleague, backing him to succeed at the highest level.
“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,” Rooney said.
Rooney also revealed just how crucial Rosenior was to his own managerial setup at Derby, crediting him with much of the tactical and coaching workload.
“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,” he added.
Chelsea are currently without a permanent manager and have already begun the process of appointing a replacement, with Rosenior now firmly on the shortlist as the Stamford Bridge hierarchy weigh up their next move.
