The remarkable rise of Chelsea's little-known interim boss

It's an incredible rise, one which Calum McFarlane himself describes as a "whirlwind". He was not a professional player, and has never been a permanent manager before. But he worked his way diligently up through the grassroots game to the elite level - and now, again, he is Chelsea 's caretaker manager following Liam Rosenior's sacking on Wednesday .

The 38-year-old will begin his second spell in temporary charge at the grandest surroundings - Wembley. McFarlane has only previously visited the ground as a spectator. In his initial two-game spell in January, McFarlane replaced Enzo Maresca.

His first senior match at the helm was a 1-1 draw at Manchester City , against Pep Guardiola, who took charge of his 1,012th match. He takes over again at a time of pressure of Chelsea , on a run five league defeats which has pushed them out of Champions League contention. In the background, there have been fan protests - the continuing tension highlighted by one of McFarlane's former grassroots clubs receiving abuse on social media since he was put in caretaker charge.

Having been promoted from Under-21s manager to first-team coach under Rosenior, McFarlane said he was "gutted" about this week's events. He could now get a six-game spell in charge if they reach the FA Cup final. "It's a whirlwind, but what happens, happens," he said.