Hull City, Strasbourg, Stamford Bridge: How Liam Rosenior Found His Way to Chelsea

A look at the career of Liam Rosenior, confirmed Chelsea coach on January 6, tells a story of progress.

The 41-year-old took over at Stamford Bridge after Enzo Maresca left Chelsea on January 1, as the London club sat fifth in the Premier League at the start of the year.

The club went for a profile that would continue the same idea, choosing a coach with experience in young stars, and many seasons of managing pressure without necessarily having top players.

Who is Liam Rosenior?

Liam James Rosenior was born on July 9, 1984, in Wandsworth, London. Football shaped his life early. His father, Leroy Rosenior, played professionally for Fulham, West Ham, and Queens Park Rangers. Liam followed the same path, building a solid playing career as a defender.

He played for Bristol City, Fulham, Reading, Hull City, and Brighton, retiring in 2018. After that, he built for himself a reputation for intelligence, reliability, and leadership. Those were the traits he carried into coaching.

Early coaching years

After retirement, Rosenior decided to go into coaching. So, in 2018, Brighton gave him his first appointment to work with their Under 23s. The role helped to improve his focus on structure and the development of players. He combined that with working with the media, where he gained a reputation as a good communicator who knew how to explain the game.

In 2019, Derby County brought him into their senior team under Phillip Cocu. When Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney took over, Rosenior became his assistant. That period is known for the team’s financial collapse, but Rosenior also gained experience from the situation.

When Rooney resigned in June 2022, Rosenior became interim manager. He coached 12 matches, winning 7, drawing 2, and losing 3.

Hull City, First Full Job

Hull City appointed Rosenior as their head coach in November 2022 when the club was sitting close to the bottom of the Championship. With him, they were able to avoid the drop in the 2022–23 season.

In 2023–24, the team finished seventh. In a total of 78 matches in charge, Rosenior delivered steady results. Hull rarely collapsed, though they also didn't exactly rise.

However, during his time at the club, he never managed three league wins in a row. That didn't sit well with the board, and Hull eventually relieve him of the job in May 2024, even after he exceeded expectations that season.

Strasbourg and European qualification

In July 2024, Rosenior became the head coach of RC Strasbourg in what became his first job outside England. He focused on the youth. Under his management Strasbourg often fielded one of the youngest starting XIs in the French Ligue 1.

As for the style of play, the team were known for short passes, building from the back, and pressing.

And, of course, there were results. In the 2024–25 season, Strasbourg finished seventh, qualifying for the UEFA Conference League. This was the club’s first European qualification in almost 20 years!

Throughout that season, Strasbourg avoided long losing runs, but they also struggled to keep winning. He couldn't manage three straight league wins, either, but their league position was not so bad.

Just before his return to England, Strasbourg again find themselves around seventh position.

Managerial record

As of the time he signed for Chelsea, Rosenior has managed at least 130 senior matches for Derby County, Hull City, and RC Strasbourg. His career win rate is somewhere around 40%.

He may not have won any major trophy as coach, but with the little he had, he has been able to improve teams, survive relegation, and qualify for European competition.

Another issue might be that he has never coached a team competing for the title and that he has never had a long winning run. But every team he has coached has remained competitive and organised throughout the season.

Rosenior likes dominating by building from the back. His teams spread the pitch well and carefully move the ball while maintaining their positions.

The likes of Estêvão, Garnacho, and other young stars in the Chelsea team would enjoy him because he trusts young players. At Hull City, Rosenior gave the captain’s armband to the then-young Jacob Greaves. Also, he turned Tyler Morton into a starter in midfield during the 2023-24 Championship season, as Hull City finished seventh.

That trust grew even stronger at Strasbourg. At the start of the 2024-25 Ligue 1 campaign, Habib Diarra, Dilane Bakwa, and Emanuel Emegha became starters under him.

What do you think of the new Chelsea manager? Do you believe he will succeed at Stamford Bridge? share your thoughts in the comments below.