Chelsea are rolling the dice on Liam Rosenior - but Wayne Rooney comments show why

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Liam Rosenior must be seen as a huge gamble by Chelsea . A relatively inexperienced, young manager taking over one of Europe’s biggest and most successful clubs.

But the one person who will not see it as a gamble is Rosenior himself. He will view this as a great challenge and one that he will embrace. This is a young manager bursting with ideas, determination, energy and a big, unstoppable personality.

Rosenior, 41, has won plaudits for his coaching wherever he has been. And working his way up through Brighton ’s under-23s, Derby County, Hull City and now Strasbourg should be respected rather than derided.

His style, philosophy and ambition has already earned rich praise from Wayne Rooney , who he worked alongside at Derby.

“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,” Rooney said on his BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney show.

“His detail, how he approaches the day-to-day, he's as good as I've worked with. 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. That’s important as well. If he goes in there, he won't disappoint. He's been waiting for an opportunity like this.

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“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.”

Ideally, this opportunity might have come further down the line. He was doing well at Strasbourg, a club within the Chelsea family as it is owned by BlueCo.

His departure has not gone down well and he could arguably have done with a little more time and experience. But former England captain Rooney also made a great point that English managers need these opportunities. A cynic might suggest there might not be so many question marks if he was a foreign coach.

We also still tend to judge managers against their playing careers and it is obvious that he was never a big name but played in the Premier League , had something of a journeyman career but his personality wherever he went.

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Always asking questions. Always looking to a career in coaching. Always learning. Studying and also developing.

He has impressed me so much in every interaction and conversation. He is a top guy. He is incredibly bright, eloquent and caring. Funny, too. He is a big personality.

It was so obvious to me that he would go far as either a coach or a manager. He did well overall at Hull. He was liked at Derby and formed a good partnership with Rooney. When Rosenior stepped up as interim manager, it was a difficult, turbulent time at Derby and there was a feeling that trying to play his brand of possession, stylish football was never going to work in League One.

But actually Rosenior left with the club still speaking highly of him. The respect remains. And if you could not learn through that process, then it would be a failing on his part.

If the players buy into him - and that will be key - they will enjoy being coached by a manager who develops players, champions young players and plays an attractive brand of football which will entertain. His team talks are inspirational. Players have talked about his energy, enthusiasm and clear instructions. He also connected with fans at Strasbourg.

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Chelsea know it is a departure from some of the big names of the past. But Enzo Maresca was by no means a big name when he took charge and delivered success even if it ended in tears.

Rosenior speaks so well. He is eloquent and, while Maresca really struggled to connect and convince fans, early results, wins and good messages will earn him time and respect.

This is a chance of a lifetime for Rosenior. And he will be ready to take it.

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