New Chelsea FC manager Liam Rosenior continues to divide opinion among some Reading FC supporters more than a 16 years after his departure from the club.
The former defender signed for Reading in 2007 while the club were in the Premier League. Rosenior was a regular in the side, but it is the circumstances around the end of his time at the club that many supporters cite as a lasting grievance.
Rosenior left Reading in the summer of 2010, signing for Hull City after choosing not to renew his contract. At the time, he insisted he was committed to the club’s cause. In an interview shortly before departing, he said: “I just want to go up with Reading… I’ve got no interest in going anywhere.”
However, the move to Hull came soon after, leaving some fans feeling that his earlier public declaration had not matched his intentions. For sections of the Reading fanbase, that episode has come to symbolise a perceived lack of loyalty, particularly during a campaign in which hopes of promotion back to the Premier League were high.
Supporters have also pointed to the way his exit unfolded as a sticking point. Rosenior left on a free transfer at the end of his contract, a situation that hints at pre‑contract agreements which, although routine in modern football, are often unpalatable to fans when expressed publicly by players who had previously professed a desire to stay.
Shortly after leaving Reading, Rosenior reflected on his time at the club and was brutally honest about his experience. He said: “I can’t say I had two great years there because I didn’t.
“Financial matters took over. I was signed as a Premier League player and my wages were probably a bit higher than others. Maybe Brendan Rodgers looked at the budget and saw an opportunity to move me on, so he could bring two or three new players to the club.
He did not shy away from expressing his detachment from the club during his final months as a player. During a loan spell at Ipswich in the 2009/10 season, he said: “I don’t want to pretend I want them to do well, because I don’t. I haven’t spoken to any Reading players. After the game I’ll be friends with them again, but before the game I’m not going to talk to them, it’s not important. My contract’s up and I’m not going to be there next season. I’m disappointed (with the way things have gone).”
Despite the past tensions, Rosenior has gone on to establish a reputation as a promising coach and now faces a new challenge at Stamford Bridge, where he will be expected to manage at the very top of English football.
