An Emotional Occasion when Liam Rosenior Shatters Barriers

"Liam Rosenior is a top tactician who understands the game back to front, which is what matters most.

"However, in my role as Chelsea's pioneering African heritage footballer, it would be dishonest if I said this appointment does not affect me."

Those are the sentiments expressed by Paul Canoville, who earned his historic first appearance for Chelsea's senior side as a substitute in the spring of 1982.

On Tuesday, the club appointed RC Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, 41, to be their next head coach after the exit of Enzo Maresca.

The French club is within the multi-club BlueCo which also controls Chelsea.

There have been just twelve black managers – not including individuals holding interim roles – in the Premier League since it began 34 years ago.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is he grew up and developed his game not far from here, he understands this community," added Canoville.

"When kids see someone like Liam in charge of the team they support, a person they can identify with, who's from their ends, from a family that champions equality… that's powerful and shows them the path is there.

"So yes, this represents a massive step for the club, for the capital, for every aspiring individual with big dreams.

"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 became Chelsea head coach in 1996 thereby becoming the Premier League's inaugural African heritage manager.

Twelve years later, by 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the pioneering English black boss in the Premier League after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is the only other present top flight gaffer from a minority ethnic background.

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

As per the BFP 2023 study, forty-three percent of Premier League players come from black backgrounds.

However, analysis by Kick It Out found just 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership positions at most Premier League clubs are from ethnically diverse communities.

Regarding senior coaching positions, based on figures provided by 11 clubs, the figure is 2%.

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

"He has undoubtedly broken barriers by virtue of him being announced as the Chelsea head coach, and we want to see more of that," stated the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"We know that there exists loads of ability present within ethnic minority groups... aspiring coaches want the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities. It is imperative to continue to striving to dismantle those barriers down."

Furthermore, the new appointee is set to become one of only four permanent English managers presently managing in the top flight – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which trails the continent's remaining big five leagues in terms of national representation.

16 out of twenty top-flight coaches in Italy are Italian, 11 in La Liga are Spanish, 12 of the 18 are German and 10 in Ligue 1 are French.

Current Blues interim boss Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure every young English managers with a youth development pedigree will be, to some degree no matter who you support, supporting Liam.

"It is truly inspirational for up-and-coming British coaches in the system to see someone get that job with his background and we hope he does really well."

It is vital to remember – he's there on merit'

His father, Leroy, Rosenior Sr., had a career with clubs such as Fulham, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, with his coaching stint culminating in a brief spell in charge of the third-tier club Brentford back in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours for his services to tackling inequality within the sport and beyond.

After Liam hung up his boots he pursued a path in management. He started writing a column for a national newspaper, where in 2017 he acknowledged the lack of diversity among managers. He highlighted that ethnicity does not influence ability arguing that opportunities must be awarded on merit.

He further expressed the view he would repeat: that significant lack of diversity results in misunderstandings regarding footballers from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, he explained the way his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" or "emotional", but said he could relate to the Dutch player of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to join him with a move from France to West London in July.

In subsequent Guardian columns, Rosenior also admitted he was "ashamed" to hear an unnamed coach make a discriminatory remark. He pledged his support for the inclusion campaign and authored an open letter to Donald Trump during his first US presidency, condemning his "overt" racism.

Rosenior has since made his name in the dugout – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney said this week he was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" following their time together with Derby.

The manager bid goodbye to his former club earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a six‑and‑a‑half‑year deal with the Blues.

Chelsea boasted the top flight's first black manager with Gullit and the first black skipper in Paul Elliott.

Elliott later held several senior positions, among them the FA's equality board|