Who is Liam Rosenior? Wayne Rooney's former colleague becomes frontrunner to replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea

In less than six months after winning the revamped FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, Chelsea parted ways with Enzo Maresca on New Year's Day, after the Italian's fall-out with the club's bosses at Stamford Bridge. Maresca joined Chelsea in 2024 on a five-year contract with an option for a one-year extension. He succeeded Mauricio Pochettino.

Maresca's departure came after Chelsea managed to win only one of their last seven Premier League games. Maresca's comment, where he claimed he endured ‘his worst 48 hours’ following Chelsea's win over Everton, also did not go well with the owners.

With Maresca leaving, Chelsea are likely to have U-21 head coach Calum McFarlane as the interim manager for Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. While the Blues are seeking options, a report in Daily Mail said Liam Rosenior is the frontrunner to replace Maresca at Chelsea.

Liam Rosenior - All you need to know

Rosenior's name popped up after the report stated that the 41-year-old has admirers within the Chelsea hierarchy. A former Premier League footballer, Rosenior might be considered a newbie in coaching, and is currently the head coach of Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, owned by Chelsea’s parent company BlueCo.

Notably, Chelsea and Strasbourg are owned by the same people. Having played for Bristol City, Fulham, Reading, Hull and Brighton, Rosenior entered the coaching job with the Seagulls' U-23 side. Rosenior's biggest break in coaching came when he was appointed as an assistant to Wayne Rooney at Derby County in 2021.

At Derby County, Rosenior was influenced by Rooney's work ethic - pressure management and man management. A fan of legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, Rosenior coached Derby County on an interim basis after Rooney was sacked. His impressive show at Derby convinced Hull City to appoint him as a full-time manager in November 2022.

However, Rosenior was sacked by Hull City despite guiding the team to a seventh-place finish in the Championship and narrowly missing the play-offs. Rosenior joined Strasbourg in 2024-25.

Why is Liam Rosenior leading the race?

According to a The Guardian report, Rosenior has impressed both his players and the club bosses at Strasbourg. Despite not speaking French, Rosenior's game-reading ability, insights and ambition are being highly regarded, and he recently admitted that he wants to coach in England.

To add to his tactical insights, Rosenior's ability to marshal his boys into multiple formations during a match, depending on the opposition, has impressed many. Although this might not be enough for Rosenior to be a frontrunner to replace Maresca at Chelsea, his ability to tinker with the squad instead of overhaul it might be one of the key reasons.