Strasbourg

Gary O’Neil has been appointed Strasbourg manager after Liam Rosenior left the French Ligue 1 side to join Chelsea earlier this week.

The 42-year-old, who has previously managed Premier League sides Bournemouth and Wolves, said he is “proud” to join a club with a “high-quality squad and clear, ambitious goals for the season”.

The former Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and QPR midfielder added: “Racing has a unique history, extraordinary passion, great resilience, and of course, loyal fans who want to see this team play attractive football and succeed.

“My priority is to work hard with the team and give everything for the club’s success.”

Strasbourg, who sit seventh in Ligue 1, moved swiftly to appoint O’Neil after Rosenior joined Chelsea on a six-and-a-half-year deal on Tuesday.

The French side are part of the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo multi-club ownership group which also controls Chelsea.

Rosenior, a right-back, had a solid but unspectacular career as a player – featuring in the top flight for Fulham, Reading, Hull and Brighton.

Roughly half his career was spent in the EFL and that’s where he started his coaching career.

After a spell as Brighton‘s under-23s coach, he spent three years at Derby.

He was first-team coach under Phillip Cocu and then assistant boss to Wayne Rooney – before taking over as interim boss after Rooney’s departure.

But he was more hands-on than the average assistant.

“There was an argument when Mel Morris sacked Phillip Cocu in November 2020, Rosenior should have been put in charge, not Rooney,” said BBC football news reporter Simon Stone.

“Rooney had the profile of course, but it was Rosenior who put the sessions on at Derby and who guided the team during games.

“Rosenior replaced Rooney for a short time in 2022, after administration had led to relegation into League One.

“It was Rosenior who put Derby back together, helping to bring in 14 new players after the club had been left with only five under contract.

“History suggests the new ownership would have been better leaving Rosenior in charge, given they were seventh when he left and under his replacement, Paul Warne, they didn’t even end with a play-off place.”

He then spent almost two years as Hull manager – with observers again thinking he was harshly done by at the end.

The Tigers were one point above the relegation zone when he took over in November 2022 and led them to 15th.

The following season they finished three points off the play-off places, and Rosenior was sacked.

In 2024-25 while Rosenior was leading Strasbourg into Europe, Hull City avoided relegation from the Championship on goal difference.