I played for Liam Rosenior and one thing stood out - this is what Chelsea stars are in for

Former Chelsea defender Dylan Williams has delivered his verdict on Liam Rosenior's appointment at Stamford Bridge, after working with the 41-year-old in the past

Liam Rosenior has been tipped to be a huge success at Chelsea by one of his former players. The 41-year-old was confirmed as the new Blues head coach earlier this week following Enzo Maresca's exit on New Year’s Day.

Rosenior, who had spent the last 18 months at Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg in France, has signed a six-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge and will take charge of his first game against Charlton in the FA Cup on Saturday.

But what can Chelsea fans and the dressing room expect from their new manager? Well, ex-Blues and now Burton Albion defender Dylan Williams worked under Rosenior at Derby and he is confident the former Hull boss will deliver in west London.

When asked if Rosenior is capable of succeeding at Chelsea, Williams told football.london : "Yeah, 100 per cent." He then revealed that his meticulous approach to games was one of the biggest things that stood out about the new Chelsea boss.

"I spoke to Evo (George Evans) about it this morning because he had Rosenior at Derby as well and we were both saying that his detail and what he put Derby and into the game before playing the opposition, it had to be perfect.

"I think he is more than capable of doing the job."

"He was great with the young lads at Derby, he put so much effort into us and helping us step up into the first-team," Williams added. "He had a very good long career as well."

Williams and Rosenior worked together while the latter was an assistant to Wayne Rooney at the Rams. Williams made eight first-team appearances under Rosenior and Rooney before signing for Chelsea in a £1million deal in January 2022.

As for Rosenior, he ended up becoming Derby's interim manager that summer after Rooney left, but he lasted just 12 matches before new Rams owner David Clowes opted to replace him and put ex-Rotherham boss Paul Warne in charge.

Rosenior didn't spend long out of management, however, as he was offered to move up to the Championship with Hull in November 2022. He took that opportunity and ended up impressing at the Tigers, leading them to a seventh-place finish in his second full season at the MKM Stadium.

But Hull owner Axum Ilicali decided to make a change and sacked Rosenior in the summer of 2024, leading him to move to France and take the Strasbourg job under Chelsea's BlueCo ownership. He has since impressed Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali alike, with Rosenior winning 31 and drawing 15 of his 63 matches in charge at the Ligue 1 side.

It was a record that helped him move to the front of the queue when Chelsea were eyeing up a successor for Maresca, who was axed on January 1 following a breakdown in relations with the club's board and a disappointing run of form.

"I think Liam was so detailed and emphasised the detail of passing, moving, the third man runs and when you got into the final third, be creative and express yourself," Williams added. "And I think you will be able to see that with the Chelsea team and them being so young.

"He has already said that being young can be a strength because they can learn things quicker. He really tried to use that at Derby and he is so smart in the way he thinks. He is always trying to be ahead of everyone when it comes to the details earlier than everyone."

Williams signed for Chelsea after Rooney made the decision to allow him to sign for a Premier League club. The Manchester United legend described it as a "massive opportunity" for the full-back to move to the Blues, then reigning Champions League winners, after breaking through at Derby.

Despite being named in the matchday squad on a number of occasions, Williams didn't end up making a single first-team appearance for Chelsea. He spent most of his time with the club’s Under 21s and made 58 appearances for them, scoring three times, before moving to Burton on loan in 2024.

Reflecting on his time at the Blues, Williams said: "When a team like Chelsea comes in, you can’t turn it down. As soon as we got the call, my agent and I rang each other and just said, 'it's a no brainer'.

"I think I signed a four-year deal and I had so many opportunities. I think I was on the bench in the Premier League numerous times, I was on the bench in the FA Cup. I was sitting next to N’Golo Kante on my left and Reece James was on my right so it was just honestly mental."

Williams impressed during the 2024/25 season on loan at Burton in League One, playing 33 times before he made that move permanent last summer.

"I have loved every minute of it so far," Williams said, when speaking about his time at Burton so far. "I think the fans have been great with me. At the back end of last season when I got my opportunity to shine I scored my first professional goal and that was an amazing feeling.

"I think this season I have had a lot of opportunities to play which has been amazing. I think being in an academy [at Chelsea] for so long, it has affected me in some ways with physicality because you’re playing against men, whereas in an academy you’re playing against boys.

"So, stepping up into this environment against men has been really good, though it has tested me at times. The only way I can improve and get better is by doing it every day, competing and improving."

Williams, who has made 20 appearances for Burton this season, is set to play for the Brewers against Boreham Wood in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.