Liam Rosenior hails 'outstanding' £18m star after Chelsea appointment

Liam Rosenior has singled out one Chelsea player for praise (Picture: Getty)

Liam Rosenior was keen to single out one ‘outstanding’ Chelsea star in his first interview since being confirmed as the Blues’ new head coach.

Rosenior was confirmed as Enzo Maresca’s permanent successor on Tuesday , five days after the Italian departed Stamford Bridge following a breakdown in his relationship with the club’s hierarchy.

The Englishman arrives from Strasbourg , which are also run by the BlueCo consortium, having guided the French club to a seventh-place finish and a return to European football last season.

Rosenior has signed a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2032 and described his arrival at the club as ‘one of the proudest days of my life’.

‘Proud. Excited. Can’t wait to start,’ he told the club’s website.

‘It’s a lot of hard work in my life to get to this point, but as I’ve already said to the players, getting to this club is one thing, but I want to win at this amazing football club with these players and the staff.

‘That is what my focus is on.’

The former Strasbourg head coach has arrived at Stamford Bridge (Picture: Getty)

Rosenior will be in the stands for Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Fulham on Wednesday , with his first match in charge coming on Saturday in an FA Cup third-round clash against Charlton Athletic.

And the 41-year-old faces a daunting task for his first game at Stamford Bridge as the Blues welcome league leaders Arsenal for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

‘First game at home against Arsenal in a cup semi, that’s what I live for and what I’ve worked so hard for,’ he said.

‘I know I’m perceived to be a young coach, and I don’t want to get too much into myself about my journey, but it’s something that I love doing and it’s a dream I’ve always had to be at a club of this magnitude.

‘So, yes, it’s going to be a great night, but coaching is not about you as an individual. Coaching is about serving others and I’m looking forward to not just that game, I’m looking forward to many, many good, good days to come.’

Rosenior has signed a contract until 2032 (Picture: Getty)

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Rosenior will begin getting to grips with his squad over the coming days, and has the advantage of already knowing a few of the players from his time as a player and coach.

And Rosenior was particularly keen to shine a light on Andrey Santos’s talent, who worked under the Englishman while on loan at Strasbourg last season.

‘I’ve worked with Liam Delap [at Hull City] and had a great time with him,’ he added. ‘It’s great to see him at this club and that I get to work with him again.

‘I’ve known Rob Sanchez since he was 16 years old at Brighton [when he was] coming through. So, I know Rob very well.

Rosenior worked with Andrey Santos at Strasbourg last season (Picture: Getty)

‘Obviously, I had Andrey Santos last year [at Strasbourg]; he’s got two beautiful children that he’s brought into the world and he had an outstanding performance at Manchester City.

‘But what I want to do is to get to know all of them very quickly because I think if you get to know people, you can improve them, and if they improve individually, you improve the collective and you win games.’

Santos, who arrived from Vasco da Gama for £18million in January 2023, has struggled for regular minutes in Chelsea’s midfield this season, with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo ahead of the Brazilian in the pecking order.

Rosenior’s arrival could therefore benefit the 21-year-old, who has previously spoken in glowing terms about his new boss.

‘Liam, I love my ex-coach,’ Santos said in November. ‘He’s amazing. It’s hard to say about Liam because when I joined Strasbourg, he helped me a lot.

‘I improved a lot with him. (A couple of weeks ago), I sent a message to him, because I always watch Strasbourg games.

‘I told him ‘my new baby is coming’, and he congratulated me, saying ‘I’m so happy for you’. I think our relationship is perfect.’