An Emotional Occasion when Liam Rosenior Overcomes Barriers

"He is a quality tactician that knows the game back to front, and that's the most important thing.

"But, as the Blues' first black footballer, I would be lying to claim this appointment does not affect me."

Those are the words of Paul Canoville, who earned his historic first appearance for the Blues' first team off the bench back in the spring of 1982.

This week, Chelsea named Strasbourg boss Rosenior, aged 41, to be their next head coach following the exit of Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are part of a multi-club BlueCo that also controls Chelsea.

Statistics show only 12 black managers – not including individuals in temporary caretaker positions – in England's top flight since it began 34 years ago.

"One thing that impresses me regarding Rosenior is he grew up and developed his game not far from here, he knows this area," continued Canoville.

"Whenever kids observe someone like Liam managing the team they support, a person they can identify with, from a similar background, from a household that fights for what's right… that's profound demonstrating the path is there.

"So yes, this represents an enormous moment for Chelsea, for the capital, for every young person with big dreams.

"But right now? Let's back Liam, provide him with what he needs, and allow him to get on with the job."

What Does the Statistics Show?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit became Chelsea manager back in the nineties and became the top flight's inaugural African heritage manager.

Twelve years later, by 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the first black English boss in the Premier League when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

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

The scarcity of ethnic minority managers throughout the English game corresponds with a lack of diversity at executive level.

As per the Black Footballers Partnership 2023 study, 43% of Premier League players come from black backgrounds.

However, research from Kick It Out revealed only 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership positions at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Regarding senior coaching level, according to data from 11 clubs, the figure is two percent.

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

"He's certainly made history in terms of his appointment as the Chelsea manager, and we hope to witness more such appointments," stated Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"We know there is loads of talent present in the ethnic minority communities... aspiring coaches want the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. It is imperative to persist in work hard to dismantle those barriers down."

Additionally, the new appointee will become the fourth permanent British managers presently in the Premier League – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's remaining big five divisions regarding homegrown managers.

Sixteen out of twenty first division managers in Italy are Italian, 11 in La Liga in Spain, Twelve of the 18 in Germany and Ten of the 18 in France.

Current Blues interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I have no doubt every young English coaches with a youth development pedigree will be, to some degree no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's truly motivating for up-and-coming British academy coaches to see someone get that job with his background and everyone hopes he does highly successful."

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

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, had a career with the likes of West London clubs, the Hammers and Queens Park Rangers, and his coaching stint peaked with a five-month spell at the third-tier club Brentford FC back in 2006.

Two years ago, he received an MBE in that year's Honours List for services rendered to tackling discrimination in football and beyond.

When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he pursued a path in management. He started writing articles for a national newspaper, where in 2017 he addressed the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that ethnicity does not determine coaching skill arguing that opportunities should be given based on qualification.

He further expressed a point he would repeat: that vast lack of diversity results in a failure to understand of players with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

In a podcast for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" and "emotional", but said he could relate to the Dutch player with Nigerian parentage. Emegha is set to follow him in moving from France to Chelsea in July.

In subsequent Guardian columns, he also confessed he was "ashamed" to hear a staff member make a discriminatory remark. He vowed his support for the Premier League's inclusion campaign and authored an open letter to the former US President while he was in office, condemning his "blatant" prejudice.

He has subsequently built his reputation as a manager – first at Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney recently stating he was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" after their collaboration with Derby.

Rosenior said goodbye to his former club earlier this week before signing a six‑and‑a‑half‑year contract with the Blues.

The Blues boasted the Premier League's pioneering African heritage manager in Gullit as well as the first black captain named Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since held several executive roles, including the FA's equality board|