An Significant Moment when Liam Rosenior Breaks Barriers

"Rosenior represents an excellent coach who understands the game inside out, and that's the crucial factor.

"However, in my role as the Blues' first black footballer, it would be dishonest to claim this news doesn't move me."

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

On Tuesday, the club named RC Strasbourg boss Rosenior, aged 41, as their next manager after the exit of Enzo Maresca.

The French club is within the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned ownership group that also owns Chelsea.

There have been only 12 of African or Caribbean heritage head coaches – excluding individuals in interim positions – in England's top flight since it began 34 in the past.

"One thing that impresses me regarding Rosenior is he grew up and developed his game locally, he understands this area," added Canoville.

"When kids observe someone like Liam managing the team they support, someone they can identify with, from a similar background, who comes from a household that fights for equality… that's profound demonstrating that opportunities exist.

"Indeed, it is a massive moment for Chelsea, for the capital, for all aspiring individual dreaming big.

"But right now? We must support Rosenior, give him what he needs, and let the man get on with the job."

What Do the Numbers Show?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit became Chelsea manager back in the nineties thereby becoming the top flight's first African heritage head coach.

A dozen years on, in 2008, Paul Ince became the pioneering black English manager in the top flight when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers' boss Nuno Espirito Santo is the sole additional current top flight boss of colour.

The scarcity of managers of colour throughout the English game corresponds with an absence of representation in the boardroom.

According to the BFP 2023 report, 43% of top-flight players are from African or Caribbean heritage.

Yet, analysis from Kick It Out found only 3.2% of board and senior leadership positions at most Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse communities.

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

Across all coaching positions – encompassing head coaches – from those same 11 clubs, the statistic is five percent.

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

"We know there is loads of ability present in the black and underrepresented groups... they want a chance to demonstrate what they can do. It is imperative to persist in work hard to dismantle those obstacles once and for all."

Additionally, the new appointee will become the fourth permanent British managers presently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's remaining big five leagues in terms of national managers.

16 out of twenty first division coaches in Italy are Italian, 11 of the 20 in Spain, 12 in the Bundesliga in Germany while Ten of the 18 are French.

Current Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I have no doubt all young English managers from an academy background are, in some way no matter who you support, supporting Liam.

"It's truly motivating for young English academy coaches to witness someone land that job with that profile and we hope he will be highly successful."

It is vital to remember – his appointment is based on talent'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, played for clubs such as Fulham, the Hammers and Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career culminating in a five-month stint at the third-tier club Brentford in 2006.

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

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he followed a path in management. He began writing articles for The Guardian, where in 2017 he addressed the lack of diversity among managers. He highlighted that ethnicity does not determine coaching skill arguing that roles should be given based on qualification.

He further expressed the view he has often stated: how vast under-representation results in misunderstandings of players with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

In a podcast for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted the way his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" and "passionate", noting that he could relate to the Netherlands player of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to join him with a move from France to West London this summer.

In further newspaper articles, Rosenior also admitted he was "ashamed" upon hearing a staff member utter a discriminatory remark. He vowed his support for the Premier League's inclusion campaign and authored an open letter to Donald Trump during his first US presidency, condemning his "overt" prejudice.

Rosenior has since built his reputation as a manager – first at Hull City, later at Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney recently stating Rosenior 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 deal with the Blues.

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

Elliott later held multiple executive roles, among them the Football Association's equality board|