Wayne Rooney has dropped a major bombshell on his former assistant Liam Rosenior, praising the new Chelsea head coach’s “unbelievable” coaching ability while revealing a secret long-term ‘plan’ that was supposed to take him from Strasbourg to Stamford Bridge – a move that has arrived far sooner than either club or Rosenior expected.
Rooney, who worked side-by-side with Rosenior at Derby County between January 2021 and June 2022, gave his most honest verdict yet on The Overlap Fan Debate.
“It’s a big change for him, he’s gone into a massive football club,” Rooney said. “His time with me at Derby, then Hull, then Strasbourg… I think there was a plan there with Strasbourg and Chelsea but it’s come a little bit sooner than probably Chelsea and Liam expected.
“When you’re going in, of course you’ve got big players there, you’ve got World Cup winners there. He has to make an impact. He’s tried to and sometimes less is more. Sometimes being behind closed doors with your team and doing whatever you’re doing… less is more.
“What I will say, he is an unbelievable coach. When I worked with him, he helped me massively – organising the team, on the training pitch and how he coaches. There is no doubt about his coaching ability.
“The challenge for Liam now is managing these top players. That’s the biggest challenge for him. He’s a confident person and a confident lad, so it’s going to be interesting to see, between here and the end of the season as the fixtures are getting tougher and tougher. The question is, does he get time?”
Rosenior was appointed Chelsea head coach last month to replace Enzo Maresca and has made a flying start in west London. In his first 11 matches in all competitions, the 41-year-old has already guided the Blues to eight wins and the side is visibly adapting to his style of play.
Chelsea are now firmly in the race for the Champions League places – a top-five finish could be enough – as they battle Liverpool and Manchester United heading into the business end of the campaign.
Despite the impressive results, Rosenior has faced ridicule from some quarters over his mannerisms and press-conference comments, with critics accusing him of “acting up for the cameras.” Rooney was quick to shut that down.
“That’s the thing with Liam Rosenior; you know him, but you don’t know him,” he said. “You know his name, you know he’s played – and no disrespect to Hull and Brighton and teams like that. He’s had a career in England where everyone knows him but they actually don’t know him.
“Now everyone is looking at him and asking, ‘Is he putting this on? Is he trying to show he’s the big man now?’ But he’s being himself.”
Rooney’s candid assessment has sent shockwaves through the football world, leaving one big question hanging over Stamford Bridge: will Liam Rosenior be given the time to prove his coaching brilliance at Chelsea, or will the ‘plan’ be cut short before it truly begins?