Gary O’Neil sends Liam Rosenior warning after Chelsea news – ‘He’ll find that out’
Chelsea are expected to announce the appointment of Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior in the coming days.
Rosenior is set for his Chelsea interview on Monday, with the 41-year-old leading the race to replace Enzo Maresca.
The Italian left the Blues last week, with his job considered untenable amid a fallout behind the scenes.
Xavi was among the coaches to be mentioned as a potential Maresca replacement, but given his links to the Chelsea ownership, Rosenior immediately led the race.
The Englishman would have been watching on as Chelsea drew 1-1 with Manchester City on Sunday, courtesy of Enzo Fernandez‘s stoppage-time equaliser.
Liam Rosenior will have ‘fantastic opportunity’
Less than two years ago, Rosenior was the head coach of Hull City. The Englishman signed a three-year contract with the Tigers and led them to just outside the play-offs, but he was sacked in 2024 over an apparent difference in footballing philosophy with owner Acun Ilicali.
BlueCo made their move for the 41-year-old when he became available, hiring him as Strasbourg manager in July 2024 to replace Patrick Vieira.
| Liam Rosenior | Strasbourg |
| Wins | 32 |
| Draws | 14 |
| Losses | 17 |
| Scored | 109 |
| Conceded | 81 |
There, Rosenior led his team to seventh place in Ligue 1 and secured qualification for the Conference League, utilising the swarm of Chelsea loans.
Strasbourg have enjoyed a strong campaign so far, too, sitting seventh in Ligue 1 and remaining unbeaten in the Conference League group stage as they qualified at the top of the table.
The decision to take him away has prompted huge anger in France, with their own management situation now increasingly unclear.
“The Premier League is tough, and he’ll find that out,” Gary O’Neil told BBC Match of the Day on Sunday when discussing Rosenior’s potential appointment.
“But it’s much easier doing it with Chelsea, and the top players you have available to you, than maybe an introduction to the Premier League through promotion with a newly-promoted side.
“So he’s going to get a fantastic opportunity at a top club, and obviously we’ll see very soon whether he’s ready to grasp it.”
Wayne Rooney’s comments on Rosenior will excite Chelsea fans
Rosenior’s first steps into management were taken at Brighton, where he took the role of assistant coach for the under-23s, before joining Derby County as a first team coach in 2019.
When Wayne Rooney was appointed by the Rams in 2021, the Englishman was appointed assistant manager, and later interim manager when Rooney departed.
Rosenior later left the club for Hull City when Paul Warne was hired on a permanent basis by Derby.
Speaking to the Wayne Rooney Show on Monday, Rooney said: “He’s taken chances, and hopefully that pays off because I think Liam is as good a coach as I’ve ever worked with.
“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 added. “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.”