Liam Rosenior: built for this moment

Liam Rosenior has waited patiently for his moment to be a Head Coach, now he gets his chance with Derby County

“The two words I’d use to describe Liam’s sessions would be ‘details’ and ‘standards’. The details are always given meticulous attention and the standards never drop.”

Curtis Davies is waxing lyrical to Conway Conversations about the coaching methods of new interim Derby County manager Liam Rosenior.

“Even though he’s young as a coach, and as a person, he’s actually years beyond that in terms of coaching maturity.” Davies remarked.

Rosenior has been fine-tuning his craft for years in the optimism that one day his chance would come.

Steeped in countless hours studying the opposition, total conviction in his ideas and development of them, his hands on coaching - ensuring physical excursion as well as mental taxation, facing the media after tight wins and crushing losses. It has all been in preparation for this moment - to be named manager.

Rosenior has been overseeing Derby’s training as interim head coach. Many expect the ‘interim’ part of the title to be dropped but for now the club remain tight-lipped on Rosenior’s full-time status (though it is hard to see him not getting the role full time after being so hands on in recruitment to date).

For those who have returned to Moor Farm to report for training, it will be a case of the more things change the more they stay the same.

“Wayne [Rooney] would say that Liam was a big part of what we did,” Davies said. “I'd say Liam was the one who structured the sessions and put them together. He's wanted to be a manager since he was young. He put in the groundwork, he was studying other coaches and was reading books back then.”

Rosenior was a heavy influence on training when Wayne Rooney was manager, and Phillip Cocu before him. Rooney, like many managers he worked under, was one to delegate, as was Cocu. Rosenior was only happy to oblige.

Sometimes it was a case of carrying out a session Rooney wanted to focus on - getting crosses and bodies into the box was a common one. As was being confident in passing the ball at the back. Other times Rosenior would plan and execute most of training.

Brought into the club by former owner Mel Morris as part of Phillip Cocu’s back room staff, Rosenior was identified as one of the UK’s best and brightest coaches - a coach Morris thought could go to the very top.

When Cocu was dismissed as Derby County manager in November 2020 the race for his chair was being run by Rosenior and Wayne Rooney.

“He was like a dog let off its lead and let to run around the park,” one former coach said. “Once Cocu left he just felt free I think.”

“Suddenly Cocu left and Liam was so much more authoritative,” one former player said. “On the one hand you wondered where that kind of energy was when Cocu was here. But then we didn’t know what went off in the coaches meetings and stuff. Maybe he just felt he could be himself more.”

The sprint for the manager’s job had it’s own supporters within the squad, too. With some believing Rooney had been gunning for the job for some time - and believing he had the tactical knowledge for it. While another camp remained staunch Rosenior believers, pointing to the time spent cutting his teeth to become a top class coach.

Even days before the Dutchman’s dismissal, Rosenior had been taking up the mantle of a head coach.

Cocu would be forced to miss what would be his final game in charge of the Rams, self-isolating after coming into close contact with CEO Stephen Pearce, who tested positive for Covid-19.

In Cocu’s absence, Rosenior would take on a more senior role for that week, organising training and leading the meetings. He would lead the team talks for the 2-0 defeat to Barnsley.

“I think that Barnsley game he felt a lot of pressure,” Davies told Conway Conversations. “That whole time was strange with he and Wayne kind of wanting the job and I think Liam felt that Barnsley game was going to be his only audition so he did things that were a bit out of character for him.

“But that’s experience and he’s now got that under his belt.”

The energy the former Brighton player brings to the touchline is another thing to behold. Bounding from side to side in his white painted rectangle - sometimes even further - Rosenior can be relied on for all sorts of instructions, gesticulations and facial expressions.

That he is so there, in the moment with what is happening on the pitch, was the yin to Rooney’s often docile, ice cold yang.

The only highlight of not having fans in attendance throughout the 2020/21 season was being able to hear the coaches instructions towards the players. Rosenior was vocal on the touchline or in the press box next to Derby’s video analysts. Shay Given and Justin Walker were also frequent commentators on the action, putting players into position.

If there were worries Rosenior’s flex could only be purely on the training ground and his contacts book would not extend as far as Rooney’s in terms of recruiting, think again.

Rosenior has had a heavy hand in all of Derby’s signings thus far - lending further credence that he is the man for the job on a long-term basis.

A quick flick to Derby’s YouTube channel or Twitter page will inundate you with quotes from the new recruits as to how Rosenior sold the club to them, or how little he had to because Derby County is massive.

But this is football. Maybe a wicked curve ball will swing by and crack us all in the jaw - as is the way with Derby County Football Club - and Rosenior won’t be the person announced as the full-time incumbent.

But regardless, he’ll embrace the moment. Because, as Davies says, he’s built for it.

“He’s ready. He’s just ready for it.”