A Powerful Occasion when Liam Rosenior Overcomes Barriers

"Rosenior represents a top manager that knows football inside out, and that's what matters most.

"However, in my role as Chelsea's pioneering African heritage footballer, I would be lying to claim this news doesn't move me."

These were the words expressed by the former Chelsea winger, the man who made his groundbreaking debut for the Blues' first team off the bench back in April 1982.

On Tuesday, Chelsea hired RC Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, aged 41, to be their next head coach after the exit of manager Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within a multi-club BlueCo that also controls the London club.

There have been just 12 black managers – excluding those in interim roles – in the Premier League since its inception thirty-four years ago.

"One thing that impresses me regarding Rosenior is that he was raised and developed his game not far from here, he understands the local fans," continued Canoville.

"Whenever youngsters observe someone like Liam managing their club, a person who looks like them, who's from their ends, who comes from a household that fights for equality… that's powerful and shows them the path is there.

"Indeed, it is an enormous moment for Chelsea, for London, for every aspiring individual with big dreams.

"However, currently? We must support Rosenior, give him the necessary tools, and allow him to do his work."

What Does the Numbers Reveal?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit was appointed Chelsea manager back in the nineties and became the top flight's inaugural black manager.

Twelve years later, by 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the first English black boss in the Premier League after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

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

The scarcity of managers of colour across English football is matched by a lack of representation in the boardroom.

According to a BFP 2023 report, forty-three percent of top-flight footballers are from African or Caribbean heritage.

Yet, research by Kick It Out found just 3.2 percent of executive and leadership positions at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Regarding senior coaching level, according to figures from 11 clubs, the percentage is 2%.

For all coaching roles – including senior roles – from the same eleven clubs, the statistic is 5%.

"He has undoubtedly broken barriers by virtue of his appointment as the Chelsea head coach, and as an organization, we hope to see more of that," stated Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged that there exists loads of talent that exists within ethnic minority groups... aspiring coaches want the opportunity to show their capabilities. It is imperative to continue to work hard to break those barriers once and for all."

Additionally, the new appointee is set to become the fourth full-time English head coaches currently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's other big five leagues regarding national representation.

16 of the 20 top-flight coaches in Italy are from Italy, 11 in La Liga are Spanish, Twelve in the Bundesliga are German while 10 of the 18 are French.

Current Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure all aspiring British coaches with a youth development pedigree will be, to some degree no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's really inspirational for young English coaches in the system to witness someone land such a role with his background and we hope he will be highly successful."

'Let's not forget – he's there based on talent'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, played for clubs such as West London clubs, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, with his coaching stint peaked with a five-month spell in charge of the third-tier club Brentford in 2006.

Two years ago, he was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire in that year's Honours List for his services to tackling discrimination in football and beyond.

After Liam hung up his boots he pursued his father's footsteps. He started penning articles for a national newspaper, and in one piece he addressed the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that ethnicity does not determine coaching skill arguing that roles must be awarded on merit.

He also made the view he has often stated: that vast under-representation leads to a failure to understand of players with diverse cultural and ethnic heritage.

During an interview with The Athletic FC, he explained the way his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" or "emotional", but said he understood the Dutch international of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to join him in moving from France to West London this summer.

In subsequent Guardian columns, he also confessed he was "embarrassed" to hear an unnamed staff member make a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the Premier League's inclusion campaign and wrote an open letter to the former US President during his first US presidency, condemning his "blatant" prejudice.

He has subsequently made his name in the dugout – first at Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney recently stating Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" after their time together with Derby.

The manager bid his farewells to his former club earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term deal with the Blues.

Chelsea boasted the Premier League's pioneering black manager in Gullit as well as the first black captain in Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since worked in multiple executive roles, including the FA's diversity and inclusion board|