A journey from Hull to Chelsea via Strasbourg is unlikely to make the cut for Michael Palin’s next documentary. Then again, Liam Rosenior has always done things his own way.
It is that way which has seen Rosenior emerge as the shock leading contender to replace Enzo Maresca as Chelsea boss.
This is a coach, still only 41 years of age, who was sacked by Hull only 19 months ago, despite a nomination for Championship manager of the season.
A head coach well-versed in the utter madness and unpredictability of football? Sounds the perfect fit for the Stamford Bridge hotseat.
There will be those that sneer at Rosenior’s name even being mentioned in the same sentence as ‘Chelsea manager’. There will be those that highlight that he has never managed in the Premier League before.
But there will also be those that can see the makings of a gem of a coach.
Perhaps it was evident from the moment he completed his Uefa A licence aged 32 while still a player. Or perhaps it was while helping Wayne Rooney to negotiate the chaos at crisis club Derby.
But it was at Hull where Rosenior finally got his name on the door and tongues wagging as he rocketed the Tigers from relegation candidates to promotion challengers in the space of 18 months.
He did so in style too. At their best, Rosenior’s Tigers were devastatingly slick. At times, his football was the envy of the division.
They were brave in attack and just as bold in defence, often going man-for-man all over the pitch to suffocate opponents.
A boyhood Manchester United fan, Rosenior cites Sir Alex Ferguson as his hero. But it is Pep Guardiola, who he credits for influencing his thinking the most, that is most reflected in Rosenior’s sides.
At both Hull and Strasbourg, Rosenior has earned himself a glowing reputation as one of the supreme developers of young talents.
The likes of Tyler Morton, Jaden Philogene and Liam Delap all dazzled for the first time in their senior careers at Hull, while Rosenior also reignited Fabio Carvalho’s game after his spark had faded on the bench at Liverpool.
It wasn’t just the young ‘uns that benefitted, either. Rosenior took several of Hull’s experienced pros – those with backgrounds in the Football League, rather than Premier League – to new heights.
That was a credit to perhaps Rosenior’s most impressive attribute: his emotional intelligence. Rosenior’s players loved working with him. He knew when to put an arm around the shoulder or when to dish out some home truths. Chelsea have since claimed Maresca lacked emotional maturity – that is not a criticism they will ever be able to level at Rosenior.
Ultimately, with the squad at his disposal, Rosenior’s Hull fell short in their promotion push, falling away during the business end of the season.
Acun Ilicali, Hull’s eccentric owner, cited boring football, rather than missing out on the playoffs, as the reason for wielding the axe. And, at times, Rosenior’s methodical, precise way of playing could be tedious. On the days it didn’t click, there would be accusations that he was tactically inflexible. Rosenior, though, would likely claim this was a devotion to his footballing philosophy, rather than plain old stubbornness.
Strasbourg was a surprise next destination, though a smart move to embed himself within the BlueCo family that own both the Ligue 1 side and Chelsea.
Rosenior has never hidden his desire to manage in the Premier League one day and achieving European football amid a backdrop of fan unrest while managing abroad for the first time was no mean feat.
He has done so by largely sticking those his key principles; trusting young players to deliver his bold style of play. That is something that should marry well with the profile of Chelsea’s squad.
Managing Chelsea will bring challenges Rosenior has never encountered before, though. Big egos and even bigger expectations. The career trajectory of Graham Potter, the last English coach to manage the club, serves as a warning for how it could all go badly wrong.
But Rosenior never lacks courage in his own convictions. You only have listen to one of his rousing dressing room speeches that have been clipped up on social media to realise that.
Silverware will ultimately be what decides whether Rosenior is a success at Stamford Bridge. He has never competed for that or dealt with the various challenges that brings along the way.
It will be a test of his mettle if he gets the top job. But not one he is likely to shy away from.
