A Significant Event when Liam Rosenior Shatters Obstacles

"Liam Rosenior is an excellent coach that understands the game back to front, and that's the crucial factor.

"But, as the Blues' pioneering African heritage player, I would be lying to claim this moment fails to move me."

These were the sentiments of the former Chelsea winger, the man who earned his groundbreaking debut for the Blues' first team as a substitute in the spring of 1982.

This week, Chelsea appointed RC Strasbourg manager Rosenior, 41, to be their next head coach after the departure of Enzo Maresca.

The French club is within a multi-club BlueCo which also controls the London club.

Statistics show just 12 of African or Caribbean heritage managers – excluding individuals holding interim positions – in the Premier League since its inception 34 in the past.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is that he was raised and developed his game not far from here, he knows the local fans," added Canoville.

"When youngsters see someone like Liam in charge of the team they support, someone they can identify with, who's from their ends, who comes from a family that fights for equality… that's impactful demonstrating the path is there.

"So yes, this represents a huge step for Chelsea, for the capital, for every young person with big dreams.

"But right now? We must support Rosenior, provide him with what he needs, and allow him to get on with the job."

What Exactly Do the Numbers Reveal?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit became Chelsea head coach in 1996 thereby becoming the top flight's first African heritage manager.

A dozen years on, by 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the first black English manager in the top flight after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers' boss Nuno Espirito Santo is the sole additional present Premier League gaffer of colour.

The scarcity of ethnic minority managers throughout English football corresponds with a lack of diversity in the boardroom.

As per the BFP 2023 study, 43% of top-flight footballers are from black backgrounds.

However, research by Kick It Out revealed only 3.2% of executive and leadership management teams at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Regarding senior coaching positions, according to data from eleven clubs, the percentage stands at 2%.

Across all coaching roles – encompassing senior roles – from the same eleven clubs, the figure is 5%.

"He's certainly broken barriers by virtue of his appointment as Chelsea manager, and we hope to witness more such appointments," stated Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged that there exists a wealth of talent that exists within ethnic minority groups... aspiring coaches want the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities. We need to persist in work hard to break those obstacles down."

Furthermore, the new appointee will become one of only four full-time English managers currently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – which lags behind Europe's remaining big five divisions in terms of homegrown managers.

Sixteen out of twenty top-flight managers in Italy are from Italy, Eleven of the 20 in Spain, 12 of the 18 are German while Ten of the 18 are French.

The present Blues caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure all young English managers with a youth development pedigree are, in some way regardless of allegiance, supporting Liam.

"It's really inspirational to up-and-coming British academy coaches to see an individual get such a role with that profile and we hope he will be really well."

It is vital to remember – his appointment is on merit'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, played for clubs such as Fulham, the Hammers as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career culminating in a brief stint in charge of the third-tier club Brentford FC back in 2006.

Two years ago, he was awarded an MBE in the Honours List for services rendered to tackling discrimination in football and beyond.

After Liam hung up his boots he followed a path in management. He began writing articles for The Guardian, where in 2017 he addressed the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that race does not influence coaching skill arguing that opportunities must be awarded based on qualification.

He further expressed a point he would repeat: how significant under-representation results in misunderstandings regarding footballers from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

During an interview for a football podcast, he explained how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" or "emotional", noting that he understood the Netherlands international with Nigerian parentage. The striker is expected to follow him with a move from Strasbourg to Chelsea this summer.

In subsequent Guardian columns, Rosenior also admitted to being "embarrassed" to hear a coach utter a homophobic slur. He vowed support for the Premier League's inclusion initiative and wrote a public message to the former US President while he was in office, condemning his "blatant" racism.

He has subsequently made his name as a manager – initially with Hull City, later at Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" after their time together with Derby.

The manager bid his farewells to his former club on Tuesday morning before signing a long-term contract with the Blues.

The Blues boasted the top flight's pioneering African heritage boss in Gullit as well as the first black captain named Paul Elliott.

Elliott later held several executive roles, among them the FA's equality board|