An Significant Occasion when Rosenior Breaks Barriers

"He is a quality coach who understands football back to front, which is what matters most.

"However, as the Blues' pioneering black footballer, I would be lying if I said this moment doesn't move me."

Those are the sentiments of the former Chelsea winger, who earned his groundbreaking debut for the Blues' first team off the bench in April 1982.

On Tuesday, the club hired Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, aged 41, to be their new head coach following the departure of manager Enzo Maresca.

The French club is within the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo which also owns the London club.

Statistics show just 12 of African or Caribbean heritage managers – not including individuals in interim roles – in England's top flight since it began 34 years ago.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is he was raised and played locally, he understands this area," added Canoville.

"Whenever kids observe a figure like Rosenior managing the team they support, a person who looks like them, from a similar background, who comes from a family that fights for what's right… that's profound demonstrating the path is there.

"Indeed, it is an enormous step for the club, for the capital, for every young person dreaming big.

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

What Exactly Do the Statistics Reveal?

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

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

The Hammers' boss Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other present Premier League boss of colour.

The lack of ethnic minority managers across English football is matched by an absence of representation at executive level.

As per the BFP 2023 report, forty-three percent of top-flight players are from black backgrounds.

Yet, analysis by Kick It Out found only 3.2% of executive and leadership management teams at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Regarding senior coaching level, based on figures provided by eleven clubs, the percentage stands at 2%.

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

"He has undoubtedly broken barriers by virtue of him being announced as Chelsea head coach, and as an organization, we want to witness more such appointments," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged there is loads of ability that exists within ethnic minority groups... they desire a chance to show what they can do. It is imperative to continue to work hard to break those obstacles down."

Furthermore, the new appointee will become one of only four permanent British managers currently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – which lags behind Europe's remaining big five divisions regarding national representation.

16 out of twenty top-flight managers in Serie A are Italian, Eleven of the 20 in Spain, 12 in the Bundesliga in Germany and 10 in Ligue 1 are French.

Current Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure every young English managers from an academy background will be, in some way no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's really inspirational for young English coaches in the system to witness an individual land such a role with that profile and we hope he does really well."

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

Leroy Rosenior, Liam's father, played for clubs such as Fulham, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career culminating in a five-month spell in charge of the third-tier club Brentford in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded an MBE in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered to tackling discrimination within the sport and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he followed a path in management. He began penning a column for The Guardian, where in 2017 he addressed the under-representation among managers. He highlighted that race does not influence ability arguing that opportunities must be awarded based on qualification.

He further expressed a point he would repeat: that vast under-representation leads to misunderstandings regarding footballers from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, he explained how his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "difficult" or "emotional", but said he understood the Dutch international with Nigerian parentage. The striker is expected to follow him in moving from Strasbourg to Chelsea in July.

In subsequent newspaper articles, he also confessed he was "embarrassed" upon hearing an unnamed coach utter a discriminatory remark. He vowed his support for the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign and authored a public message to the former US President while he was in office, condemning his "blatant" prejudice.

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

The manager bid his farewells at Strasbourg 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 black boss with Gullit as well as the first black skipper in Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since worked in several executive roles, including the Football Association's diversity and inclusion board|