'As good a coach as I've ever worked with!' – Wayne Rooney reveals why Liam Rosenior 'won't disappoint' as new Chelsea manager

When Rooney rocked up in Derby five years ago for his first ever managerial gig, he was given Rosenior as his right-hand man. The former Fulham defender had already been with the club since 2019 and was promoted from first-team coach to assistant manager upon Rooney's appointment. Of the two of them, Rosenior was the more experienced coach and helped his new boss get to grips with the Rams.

"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 his sel-titled BBC podcast.

It's high praise considering Rooney was coached by the likes of Carlos Queiroz, Rene Meulensteen and Mike Phelan during his time as a Manchester United player.

"His detail, how he approaches the day-to-day, he's as good as I've worked with. 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. 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. He's also got a side which you don't want to cross him as well."

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sport YouTube & iPlayer, listen on BBC Sounds. Episodes drop every Friday & Monday morning.

It feels only a matter of time before Rosenior is unveiled at Stamford Bridge, moving from one BlueCo club to another. He was formerly in charge of Hull City, almost guiding the Tigers into the Championship play-offs in 2023-24 but harshly sacked due to a difference in football philosophy to Hull's owner. Rosenior has only otherwise led Strasbourg, but an overall lack of managerial experience shouldn't be a cause for concern among Chelsea fans demanding the best of the best, according to Rooney.

"If he goes in there, he won't disappoint," Rooney insisted. "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, hopefully we hear that he is the manager, because for young English coaches I think it's massive. We don't really see English managers at big clubs. So he'd be leading the way for us."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Rosenior was appointed by Strasbourg to replace Patrick Vieira in the summer of 2024, after the Arsenal legend left following a 13th-place finish in Ligue 1. He took that team up to seventh in his debut season in charge, all the while getting to grips with a new country and language, which meant qualifying for the UEFA Conference League. Even before that first season was out, Strasbourg offered Rosenior a contract extension, underlining their delight with his achievements.

This season, he took Strasbourg to top of the Conference League standings with five wins from their six games and again has them seventh in Ligue 1, chasing an even higher finish. That said, it's almost certain he now won't see out the season with the club he has grown really strong feelings for.

Time is running out for Rosenior to be through the door in time to take charge of Chelsea's Premier League derby clash with Fulham on Wednesday night, which points to Calum McFarlane continuing - the Under-21 boss earned his stripes with Sunday's result against Manchester City.

But if things are finalised quickly, it's feasible that Rosenior could be in place for the FA Cup third round tie against Charlton Athletic on Saturday. That would be a much kinder first game than the Catabao Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal a few days later.