He played for England at Under-16 and Under-21 levels but later changed allegiance to represent the Sierra Leone national team.[3]
In total he gained one cap for Sierra Leone, it came in the form of a 1994 African Nations Cupqualifying game versus Togo in Conakry on 9 January 1993.[4] Togo later withdrew from the competition.
Coaching and managerial career
After a period as Bristol City's youth team coach Rosenior's first managerial post was with Southern League Premier side Gloucester City. His first full season in charge saw Gloucester lose a third replay in the FA Trophy semi-final to Dagenham and Redbridge and defeat on the final day of the season to Salisbury City cost a place in the Football Conference, with local rivals Cheltenham Town being promoted. Rosenior left the following season, taking over Bristol City's reserve side.[5]
Rosenior returned to non-league, managing Merthyr Tydfil before moving to Torquay United from July 2002 to January 2006, when he left the club by mutual consent after a 3–1 home defeat to Rochdale. In his second season in charge he took Torquay to promotion to Football League One, but was unable to keep them there, experiencing relegation on the last day of the season. The return to Football League Two heralded the departure of Alex Russell and Adebayo Akinfenwa, two of the club's best players. After languishing near the bottom of the league for half the season, Leroy eventually left the club by mutual consent.[6]
In March 2006, he was named first team coach at Shrewsbury Town, acting as assistant to manager Gary Peters. He left in June 2006 to take up the managerial position at Brentford, succeeding Martin Allen.[7] 20 years earlier he had replaced Allen when he came on as a substitute in the 1986 League Cup final.[8] Five months after his appointment, Rosenior left the club,[9] after a run of 16 games without a win, which culminated in a 4–0 home defeat to Crewe Alexandra.[10]
He was scheduled to take charge of the Sierra Leone national side for a friendly against Leyton Orient in May 2007,[11] which they won 4–2.[12] It was announced in May 2007 that he would take charge of Sierra Leone in their upcoming African Nations Qualifiers.[13]
Rosenior was to return to Torquay United as head coach on 1 June 2007, replacing Keith Curle,[14] but some 10 minutes after his appointment was announced on 17 May, the club was bought by a local consortium which installed Colin Lee as chief executive, who then appointed former Gulls player and Exeter City assistant manager Paul Buckle as manager.[15][16]
Personal life
His son, Liam, is a former professional footballer and the former head coach of Hull City.
Rosenior is a leading anti-racism campaigner in British football and travels the country working as an ambassador for the Show Racism The Red Card campaign. He was awarded an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours, for his work in tackling discrimination in football and elsewhere in society.[18]
References
^"Leroy Rosenior". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
^Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 302. ISBN978-0-356-14354-5.