A Historic Occasion as Rosenior Breaks Barriers

"He is a quality tactician that understands the game back to front, which is what matters most.

"But, as the Blues' pioneering African heritage player, I would be lying if I said this news doesn't move me."

Those are the sentiments of the former Chelsea winger, who made his historic first appearance for the Blues' first team off the bench in the spring of 1982.

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

Strasbourg are within a Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned ownership group which also owns Chelsea.

There have been a mere twelve black managers – excluding individuals in temporary caretaker positions – in the Premier League since it began thirty-four years ago.

"What really strikes me regarding Rosenior is that he was raised and developed his game locally, he understands this community," added Canoville.

"When children observe a figure like Rosenior in charge of their club, a person they can identify with, who's from their ends, who comes from a household that champions what's right… it is profound and shows them that opportunities exist.

"Indeed, it is a huge moment for Chelsea, for the capital, for every aspiring individual with big dreams.

"But right now? We must support Rosenior, provide him with the necessary tools, and let the man get on with the job."

What Do the Statistics Show?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit was appointed Chelsea head coach back in the nineties and became the top flight's inaugural African heritage manager.

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

The Hammers' boss Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the sole additional present top flight gaffer of colour.

The lack of managers of colour throughout the English game is matched by a lack of diversity at executive level.

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

Yet, research from the equality organization found just 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership management teams across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse communities.

At first-team coaching level, according to figures provided by eleven clubs, the figure stands at two percent.

For all coaching roles – including head coaches – from the same 11 clubs, the statistic is 5%.

"He has undoubtedly made history in terms of his appointment as a Chelsea head coach, and as an organization, we hope to witness more such appointments," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged that there exists a wealth of ability present within ethnic minority communities... aspiring coaches want a chance to demonstrate their capabilities. It is imperative to continue to striving to break those obstacles once and for all."

Additionally, the new appointee will become one of only four permanent British managers presently managing in the top flight – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which trails the continent's other big five leagues in terms of homegrown managers.

Sixteen out of twenty first division managers in Italy are Italian, 11 in La Liga are Spanish, 12 of the 18 in Germany and Ten of the 18 are French.

The present Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure every aspiring British coaches from an academy background are, in some way regardless of allegiance, rooting for Liam.

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

'Let's not forget – he's there on merit'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, played for the likes of Fulham, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career peaked with a five-month spell in charge of the third-tier club Brentford FC in 2006.

In 2019, he received a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Honours List for his services in combating discrimination within the sport and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he pursued a path in management. He started writing articles for The Guardian, and in one piece he addressed the under-representation among managers. He highlighted that race does not determine coaching skill and said roles should be given based on qualification.

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

During an interview for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted the way his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" and "emotional", but said he could relate to the Netherlands international of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to follow him with a move from France to West London in July.

In subsequent Guardian columns, Rosenior also admitted to being "embarrassed" to hear a staff member make a discriminatory remark. He pledged his support for the Rainbow Laces initiative and authored an open letter to the former US President while he was in office, condemning his "blatant" racism.

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

The manager bid his farewells at Strasbourg on Tuesday morning before signing a six‑and‑a‑half‑year contract at Chelsea.

The Blues boasted the Premier League's first African heritage boss in Gullit and the first black skipper in Paul Elliott.

Elliott later worked in several executive roles, among them the Football Association's diversity and inclusion board|