Liam Rosenior leading contender for Sunderland job but face Burnley battle | OneFootball

Sunderland are set to hold further talks with candidates to take over as the club’s next head coach in the coming days.

According to The Northern Echo, Liam Rosenior has emerged as the front-running candidate for the role.

Rosenior is currently available as a free agent following his surprise dismissal from Hull City at the end of the campaign.

The Black Cats have been searching for a permanent successor to Michael Beale since his February sacking.

Mike Dodds oversaw the end of the season on an interim basis, leading the team to an underwhelming 16th place finish in the table.

Sunderland’s head coach search

Rosenior has emerged as one of the leading candidates to take over at Sunderland in what has been a turbulent search process.

Names like Will Still and Danny Rohl were both mentioned as potential appointments earlier in the year, but both opted for different moves.

Still has taken charge at French side Lens after departing Reims by mutual consent, while Rohl committed his future to Sheffield Wednesday by signing a new contract.

Sunderland also face competition in the race to appoint Rosenior, with Championship rivals Burnley also keen on the 39-year-old.

Vincent Kompany departed the Clarets for Bayern Munich at the end of the Premier League season, leading to their search for his replacement.

The Lancashire outfit are hoping to appoint someone capable of leading a promotion charge at Turf Moor next season following their relegation back to the second division.

The Black Cats will also have their sights set on the fight for a top six finish next year, having earned a play-off spot in 2023 under Tony Mowbray.

Rosenior led Hull to a seventh place finish in the table last season, with the Tigers missing out on the post-season promotion shootout by only three points.

Liam Rosenior’s coaching career

Rosenior began his senior coaching career at Derby County, having initially started at underage level as an assistant at former club Brighton.

He was originally appointed by the Rams to be a coach under Phillip Cocu before becoming the assistant manager to Wayne Rooney until 2022.

Rosenior was put in charge of Derby on an interim basis following Rooney’s departure, but finally earned a permanent chance at the full manager’s role with his move to Hull in November 2022.

During his time in charge at the MKM Stadium, Rosenior oversaw 27 wins from 78 games, and led the team to 15th and seventh place finishes in the Championship.

Rosenior would be a solid appointment for Sunderland

Rosenior did a good job at Hull, initially turning around their fortunes after a relegation battle looked likely.

While the team missed out on a top six finish, it was a tight battle and the Tigers had done well to be in contention until the final fixture of the season.

Sunderland need a steady pair of hands after the disastrous appointment of Michael Beale, they cannot afford a similarly short reign again.

Rosenior would be a very solid appointment, and is someone you can trust to keep the team competitive at this level.