Liam Rosenior's swift elevation to one of the biggest jobs in European football was confirmed on January 6 when Chelsea announced him as their new head coach.
The 41-year-old Englishman succeeds Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge, after a breakdown in relations led to the FIFA Club World Cup winner leaving his post on New Year's Day.
"Liam has the ability to get the best out of this squad quickly and joins us with the responsibility and the backing to ensure Chelsea continues to compete at the top level in all competitions this season and in seasons to come," a club statement read.
While highly thought of by several figures within football, Rosenior has never managed at Premier League level before.
So, why have Chelsea taken the plunge on a young tactician after a year when they won silverware and returned to the UEFA Champions League?
Here's all you need to know about the latest man in the Stamford Bridge hotseat.
MORE: Why did Chelsea sack Maresca? Reasons Blues parted ways with trophy-winning Italian
Liam Rosenior coaching career
After he retired from playing at Brighton & Hove Albion in 2018, Rosenior joined the Seagulls' under-23 setup as an assistant coach. At the same time, he worked as an articulate and insightful pundit on Sky Sports' coverage of the Football League.
In July 2019, Rosenior joined the first-team coaching staff at Derby County, where he worked under Phillip Cocu. When former Netherlands international Cocu was removed by Derby, Rosenior became assistant manager to Wayne Rooney.
"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," Rooney told his BBC podcast this week.
"Liam was so important to me. 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."
Liam Rosenior Chelsea contract
When Chelsea announced the appointment, they confirmed Rosenior had signed a six-and-a-half-year contract, running until June 2032.
Within the past six and a half years, Chelsea have had five permanent head coaches: Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and Maresca.
The last manager to lead Chelsea for more than a six-and-a-half-year period was Dave Sexton, who was in charge of the Blues between October 1967 and October 1974.
What clubs has Liam Rosenior managed?
Derby County
Derby battled gamely against relegation from the Championship in 2021/22, despite being deducted 12 points for going into administration. When Rooney left in June 2022, Rosenior was installed as interim manager.
He led County for 12 matches, winning seven and losing three. When Paul Warne was appointed as Rooney's permanent successor, Rosenior left the club.
Hull City
Two months on from his Derby exit, Rosenior was appointed as Hull City manager in November 2022, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal.
After impressing in East Yorkshire, he was rewarded with a fresh three-year deal in December 2023. He was nominated for the Championship Manager of the Season award and led the Tigers to a seventh-place finish in 2023/24.
However, Hull owner Acun Ilicali sacked Rosenior at the end of the campaign, citing a difference in football philosophy with his coach.
Strasbourg
Rosenior was back in work before the start of the 2024/25 season, succeeding Patrick Viera as head coach of Ligue 1 side Strasbourg. This appointment was the key in his path to Chelsea, as Strasbourg are also owned by the BlueCo consortium that runs Chelsea.
He is therefore familiar with what is required to work within their model, based on bringing in a high volume of young players. In Rosenior's first league game at the helm, he selected the first team in Ligue 1 history where all outfield players were under 23. Strasbourg drew 1-1 with Montpellier.
A seventh-place finish secured a spot in the UEFA Conference League, the first time Strasbourg had qualified for Europe in 19 years. He leaves with the club seventh in Ligue 1 and top of the Conference League league phase, thanks to five wins and a draw from six matches.
Liam Rosenior's Strasbourg had a league phase to remember 💥#UECL | @RCSA pic.twitter.com/XPH1xIdzv5
— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) January 5, 2026
What are Liam Rosenior's tactics and style of play?
Rosenior is known for an attacking, high-possession brand of football. His Strasbourg team played the fewest long passes in Europe's top-five leagues last season.
In an interview with BBC Football Focus, Rosenior cited Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as a key stylistic influence.
"Pep Guardiola is the ultimate, for me, in terms of how he's changed the game, how brave he's been, how he's inspired the next generation of goals," he said. "For me, he's the ultimate."
Did Liam Rosenior play for Hull City?
As well as managing Hull, Rosenior represented the club for five years between 2010 and 2015. He started the 3-2 FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal in 2014, a game where Hull raced into a 2-0 lead and took the match to extra time.
Rosenior also played for Fulham and Reading in the Premier League and finished his playing career at Brighton.
Who is Liam Rosenior's dad?
During an early career loan spell at Torquay, Rosenior played under his father, Leroy Rosenior, a former West Ham and Fulham striker who managed in England's lower leagues and also took charge of the Sierra Leone national team in 2007.
"My dad played a style of football 20 years ago that I believe in still now. He wanted his teams to express themselves and to have the ball," Rosenior said.
How do you say Liam Rosenior's name?
Rosenior is pronounced "Roh-zen-ee-or", according to the Chelsea boss' preference.