A Significant Moment as Rosenior Breaks Barriers

"Rosenior represents an excellent coach that knows football back to front, which is the most important thing.

"But, as Chelsea's first black footballer, it would be dishonest to claim this moment doesn't move me."

These were the sentiments of Paul Canoville, the man who made his historic debut for the Blues' first team off the bench in the spring of 1982.

On Tuesday, the club named RC Strasbourg manager Rosenior, aged 41, as their new manager following the departure of Enzo Maresca.

The French club is within a Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned ownership group which also controls the London club.

There have been a mere 12 of African or Caribbean heritage head coaches – excluding those in temporary caretaker roles – in England's top flight since it began thirty-four years ago.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is he grew up and played locally, he understands this area," continued Canoville.

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

"So yes, it is an enormous moment for Chelsea, for London, for every young person with big dreams.

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

What Does the Data Show?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit was appointed Chelsea head coach in 1996 and became the top flight's inaugural African heritage head coach.

A dozen years on, in 2008, Paul Ince became the pioneering black English manager in the Premier League after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is the only other current top flight boss of colour.

The shortage of ethnic minority managers throughout the English game corresponds with an absence of diversity in the boardroom.

According to the BFP 2023 study, 43% of top-flight players are from black heritage.

However, analysis by Kick It Out revealed only 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership management teams at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Regarding senior coaching positions, according to figures provided by 11 clubs, the percentage is two percent.

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

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

"It is acknowledged there is a wealth of talent that exists in the black and underrepresented groups... they want the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. It is imperative to persist in work hard to dismantle those barriers once and for all."

Furthermore, Rosenior will become the fourth permanent English head coaches presently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – which trails Europe's remaining major divisions in terms of national representation.

16 out of twenty first division managers in Serie A are from Italy, Eleven in La Liga in Spain, 12 in the Bundesliga are German while Ten of the 18 in France.

The present Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane commented: "I have no doubt every young English managers 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 witness someone land that job with that profile and everyone hopes he does really well."

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

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

In 2019, he was awarded an MBE in that year's Honours List for his services to tackling inequality within the sport and beyond.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he followed his father's footsteps. He started penning a column for a national newspaper, and in one piece he acknowledged the lack of diversity 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 significant lack of diversity leads to misunderstandings regarding footballers from different ethnic and cultural heritage.

During an interview for a football podcast, he explained how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "difficult" or "emotional", but said he could relate to the Dutch international of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to follow him with a move from Strasbourg to Chelsea this summer.

In subsequent Guardian columns, he also confessed he was "embarrassed" upon hearing an unnamed staff member utter a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the inclusion campaign and wrote a public message to the former US President while he was in office, accusing him of "blatant" racism.

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

Rosenior said goodbye at Strasbourg on Tuesday morning prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term deal at Chelsea.

The Blues had the top flight's pioneering African heritage boss in Gullit and the first black captain in Paul Elliott.

Elliott later worked in multiple senior positions, including the FA's diversity and inclusion board|