An Powerful Occasion when Rosenior Breaks Obstacles

"Rosenior represents a quality tactician that knows football inside out, which is the crucial factor.

"But, in my role as Chelsea's pioneering black footballer, it would be dishonest if I said this news doesn't move me."

These were the words expressed by the former Chelsea winger, the man who made his groundbreaking first appearance for Chelsea's senior side off the bench back in April 1982.

This week, the club hired RC Strasbourg manager Rosenior, aged 41, as their next manager after the exit of Enzo Maresca.

The French club is within a multi-club ownership group that also controls Chelsea.

Statistics show only 12 black head coaches – excluding those in temporary caretaker roles – in the Premier League since it began 34 years ago.

"What really strikes me regarding Rosenior is he grew up and developed his game not far from here, he understands this area," continued Canoville.

"Whenever youngsters observe a figure like Rosenior managing their club, a person they can identify with, who's from their ends, who comes from a household that champions equality… that's powerful and shows them the path is there.

"So yes, it is a massive step for Chelsea, for London, for every young person dreaming big.

"But right now? Let's back Liam, provide him with what he needs, and let the man do his work."

What Does the Data Show?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit was appointed the Blues' head coach in 1996 thereby becoming the top flight's inaugural black head coach.

A dozen years on, by 2008, Paul Ince became the first English black boss in the top flight after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is the only other current Premier League boss from a minority ethnic background.

The scarcity of managers of colour throughout the English game is matched by an absence of representation in the boardroom.

According to a BFP 2023's report, forty-three percent of top-flight players come from black heritage.

However, analysis from Kick It Out revealed only 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership management teams across most Premier League clubs are from ethnically diverse communities.

At first-team coaching positions, based on figures from eleven clubs, the percentage is 2%.

Across all coaching positions – including head coaches – from the same eleven clubs, the statistic is five percent.

"He's certainly made history in terms of his appointment as Chelsea manager, and we want to see more of that," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged that there exists loads of talent present within ethnic minority groups... they desire a chance to show what they can do. We need to continue to work hard to break those barriers once and for all."

Furthermore, the new appointee will become one of only four permanent British head coaches presently managing in the top flight – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which lags behind the continent's remaining major divisions regarding homegrown representation.

Sixteen out of twenty first division managers in Serie A are Italian, Eleven in La Liga are Spanish, Twelve of the 18 in Germany while Ten of the 18 in France.

The present Blues interim boss Calum McFarlane commented: "I have no doubt every aspiring British coaches with a youth development pedigree will be, to some degree no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's really motivating for up-and-coming British academy coaches to see someone land such a role with his background and we hope he will be really well."

'Let's not forget – his appointment is on merit'

Leroy Rosenior, Liam's father, had a career with clubs such as West London clubs, the Hammers and Queens Park Rangers, with his coaching stint peaked with a brief spell in charge of then-League One side Brentford in 2006.

Two years ago, he received an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours for his services in combating discrimination within the sport and beyond.

After Liam hung up his boots he pursued a path in management. He began penning articles for a national newspaper, and in one piece he acknowledged the lack of diversity of black coaches. He highlighted that ethnicity does not influence coaching skill arguing that opportunities must be awarded based on qualification.

He further expressed the view he would repeat: that significant under-representation results in a failure to understand of players with diverse cultural and ethnic heritage.

In a podcast for a football podcast, he explained the way his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "difficult" and "passionate", but said he understood the Dutch international with Nigerian parentage. Emegha is set to join him with a move from France to West London this summer.

In subsequent newspaper articles, Rosenior also admitted he was "ashamed" upon hearing a staff member utter a discriminatory remark. He vowed his support for the inclusion initiative and authored a public message to the former US President while he was in office, accusing him of "blatant" prejudice.

He has subsequently made his name as a manager – first at Hull City, later at Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney recently stating Rosenior was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" after their collaboration with Derby.

The manager bid goodbye to his former club on Tuesday morning prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Blues.

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

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