A Significant Occasion as Liam Rosenior Breaks Barriers

"He is an excellent coach who knows football back to front, which is what matters most.

"However, as Chelsea's pioneering black player, it would be dishonest if I said this news fails to move me."

Those are the sentiments of the former Chelsea winger, who earned his historic debut for Chelsea's senior side off the bench in the spring of 1982.

This week, the club named RC Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, aged 41, to be their next head coach following the departure of manager Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within the multi-club ownership group that also owns Chelsea.

There have been a mere 12 black managers – not including those holding interim positions – in the Premier League since its inception 34 years ago.

"What really strikes me about Liam is he grew up and played not far from here, he knows this area," added Canoville.

"Whenever youngsters see a figure like Rosenior managing the team they support, someone they can identify with, from a similar background, who comes from a family that champions what's right… that's powerful and shows them the path is there.

"So yes, this represents an enormous step for Chelsea, for the capital, for all young person dreaming big.

"But right now? We must support Rosenior, provide him with what he needs, and allow him to do his work."

What Exactly Does the Numbers Indicate?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit was appointed the Blues' manager in 1996 thereby becoming the Premier League's inaugural African heritage manager.

Twelve years later, in 2008, Paul Ince became the first English black manager in the top flight when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers' manager Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other present top flight gaffer of colour.

The lack of ethnic minority managers across the English game corresponds with a lack of representation at executive level.

According to the Black Footballers Partnership 2023's report, 43% of Premier League footballers are from African or Caribbean heritage.

However, research by the equality organization revealed only 3.2% of executive and leadership management teams at most Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

At first-team coaching positions, based on data from 11 clubs, the figure stands at 2%.

For all coaching positions – encompassing senior roles – from those same 11 clubs, the figure is just 5%.

"He's certainly made history by virtue of him being announced as the Chelsea manager, and as an organization, we want to witness more such appointments," stated the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged there is loads of ability that exists within black and underrepresented groups... they want the opportunity to show what they can do. It is imperative to continue to work hard to dismantle those obstacles once and for all."

Furthermore, Rosenior will become the fourth permanent English head coaches currently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which lags behind the continent's other big five divisions in terms of homegrown representation.

16 out of twenty top-flight coaches in Italy are from Italy, 11 in La Liga are Spanish, Twelve in the Bundesliga in Germany while 10 of the 18 in France.

Current Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure all young English managers from an academy background will be, to some degree no matter who you support, supporting Liam.

"It's really inspirational to up-and-coming British coaches in the system to see an individual land such a role with his background and we hope he will be highly successful."

It is vital to remember – his appointment is based on talent'

His father, Leroy, Rosenior Sr., had a career with the likes of West London clubs, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career culminating in a brief spell in charge of then-League One side Brentford back in 2006.

Two years ago, he received an MBE in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for his services to tackling discrimination in football and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr 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 lack of diversity among managers. He pointed out that ethnicity does not determine coaching skill and said opportunities must be awarded on merit.

He further expressed a point he has often stated: that significant under-representation leads to a failure to understand regarding footballers with diverse cultural and ethnic heritage.

In a podcast for a football podcast, he explained the way his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "difficult" and "emotional", but said he understood the Netherlands international with Nigerian parentage. Emegha is set to follow him with a move from Strasbourg to Chelsea in July.

In subsequent newspaper articles, Rosenior also admitted to being "ashamed" upon hearing an unnamed coach utter a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the Rainbow Laces campaign and wrote an open letter to the former US President during his first US presidency, accusing him of "overt" racism.

He has subsequently built his reputation in the dugout – first at Hull City, then Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney said this week he was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" after their collaboration with Derby.

Rosenior said goodbye at Strasbourg earlier this week before signing a long-term deal at Chelsea.

The Blues boasted the Premier League's pioneering black manager in Gullit and the first black skipper named Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since worked in several executive roles, among them the FA's diversity and inclusion board|