Back in January 2017, Brighton’s B team faced Coventry City in the Checkatrade Trophy. The match took place at the Ricoh Arena, with around 2,000 fans in attendance. The visitors’ squad featured a young Robert Sanchez, just 19 years old, guarding the goal, and a seasoned Liam Rosenior, 32, in defense.

While the game didn’t stand out as a highlight in Rosenior’s career, it marked a moment of transition. At halftime, Rosenior was substituted for a then-19-year-old Ben White, who would later make a name for himself with the England national team. Brighton ultimately fell 3-0 to Coventry, who went on to win the tournament.

In an interesting turn of events, Sanchez would eventually leave Brighton for Chelsea in a £25 million deal, reuniting with Rosenior, now his manager, nearly a decade later.

“I trained and coached Rob with Brighton’s Under-23s,” Rosenior recalled. “We recognized his potential even then. When I joined, I told him, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ It’s incredible to witness how far his career has progressed.”

Rosenior reminisced about Sanchez’s early days, noting, “He has two children now. I remember him as a 17-year-old, eager to pass his driving test. We share a strong connection, and what’s remarkable is how much more he can still grow, even though he’s already playing at such a high level.”

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior (left) has revealed how ‘proud’ he is of Robert Sanchez (right)

The duo used to be team-mates at Brighton, with Rosenior now the goalkeeper’s boss

Today, Sanchez is part of Chelsea’s main training group. The era when goalkeepers trained separately from outfield players has evolved, marking a new chapter at the Cobham training grounds.

Rosenior considers it crucial because the 28-year-old Spaniard is central to how Chelsea build from the back. ‘It’s my belief to get them involved because it’s an important part, for me, of the game,’ Rosenior added when we asked him.

Sanchez had his critics last season when Opta’s statistics said no goalkeeper made more mistakes leading to both goals and shots. Conventional wisdom suggested Chelsea should have been targeting someone new, but they resisted listening to the thousands advising them on social media.

This season, not a single goal conceded in the Premier League has been attributed to a Sanchez blunder. Save for the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg versus Arsenal – when he flapped at two balls into the box – a sense of security has accompanied his presence in goal.

Chelsea have high confidence in Sanchez, though do have a decision to make on their goalkeeper set-up this summer. Mike Penders is on a season-long loan at Chelsea’s sister side Strasbourg, where he played a key role under Rosenior before his switch from one BlueCo club to the other.

The view from sources inside Chelsea is that Penders’ potential is ‘absolutely elite’. He is 20 years old, 6ft 7in, excellent with his left foot, and was signed from Genk – the same Belgian club from whom Chelsea bought Thibaut Courtois. Penders appeared 25 times for Genk in 2024-25, and it is hoped he will finish 2025-26 with 40 starts for Strasbourg at least, fitness permitting.

Courtois, who was also 6ft 7in and a left footer, spent three seasons on loan with Atletico Madrid after Chelsea signed him from Genk in 2011. Rosenior and the club’s recruiters will evaluate closer to this summer whether Penders is experienced enough to come in or if another loan is required. Daily Mail Sport has been told Penders was a big reason why the club never committed to signing a new goalkeeper, such as AC Milan’s Mike Maignan.

Sanchez’s back-up, Filip Jorgensen, has a minor injury which will see him miss this Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace. Scans on what was believed to be an abdominal issue were positive, however. He may be available again in time for Napoli in the Champions League this Wednesday.

A decision will be made in the summer whether the highly-rated Mike Penders is ready for the step-up at Chelsea

In the meantime, Rosenior will focus on trying to get the best out of Sanchez. He is up there with the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League, but it is his passing ability which has been scrutinised, with it no secret that Chelsea favour playing from the back.

‘You always play to a player’s strengths, whether it’s the goalkeeper or your No9,’ Rosenior summed up. ‘You want them to be comfortable. Rob has already shown me fantastic things.

‘His distribution against Brentford was outstanding – a couple of long passes to Pedro Neto which we nearly scored from. You always want to improve every player. That’s sometimes not even speaking about weaknesses – it can be making their strengths even better.’