With Enzo Maresca shockingly sacked by Chelsea, Liam Rosenior is said to be the top name on the club's wishlist to become the next Chelsea Manager. Although most football fans were shocked by the sudden sacking of Enzo Maresca after a poor run of results, the truth was that the writing was on the wall the moment he had recently criticized the Chelsea owners. On top of that, Maresca has been heavily linked with Manchester City, who have apparently earmarked him to become the next Manchester City manager if Pep Guardiola decides to leave the club after this season.
So who is Liam Rosenior and why do Chelsea want him? Scroll down below to find out
Liam Rosenior: Looking back at his playing career
Liam Rosenior's playing career lasted for around 16 years, during which he played for notable clubs such as Fulham, Ipswich Town, and Brighton. He was quite a versatile player as well who was capable of playing both as a full-back or winger. Additionally, Rosenior is a former England U20 and England U21 international with a combined total of 11 caps. He also managed to score a goal well for the international youth side.
Liam Rosenior's managerial career so far
After his retirement as a player, Rosenior remained at Brighton, which was the final club he played for. He took up the position of assistant coach with Brighton's under-23 team, which he combined with appearing as a pundit on Sky Sports. Later On 10th July 2019, Rosenior was appointed as specialist first team coach to Phillip Cocu at Derby County. This was followed by promotion to an assistant manager of the club on 15th January 2021, following the appointment of Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney as manager. In fact, Rosenior took up the role of interim manager later in 2022 when Wayne Rooney was sacked.
After leaving Derby County in 2022, Rosenior was appointed as head coach at Hull City in November on a two-and-a-half-year deal. He stayed at the club for almost 2 years. A major reason behind his sacking at Hull was that the club's owner wanted the team to play a more attacking brand of football, which Rosenior wasn't convinced about at the time.
It was on 25th July 2024 that Rosenior got his next big managerial job in football, as he joined Ligue 1 club Strasbourg. He has since done a decent job at the club, and even led them to UEFA Conference League qualification by finishing 7th in Ligue 1 during his first season.
Why Chelsea want Liam Rosenior as new manager after sacking Enzo Maresca?
Chelsea sacked Enzo Maresca out of nowhere, and January is not a time of the year when great football managers would be available on the market since it's the middle of the season. Other than these factors, Chelsea's owners always look for a preferably young manager who would concede to their demands and instructions, as opposed to authoritative figures such as Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, or Antonio Conte.
Liam Rosenior ticks these boxes, and there is one other major reason as well why Chelsea are targeting him. Strasbourg is a French club that's basically owned by Chelsea's owners. Thus, it is a deal that makes sense for Chelsea from a financial perspective as well.
With Rosenior now almost certain to become Chelsea's new manager, let us now wait and see if he's able to meet the expectations of those who are about to appoint him.
