An Historic Occasion as Rosenior Shatters Barriers

"Liam Rosenior is a quality tactician that understands the game inside out, and that's what matters most.

"But, as Chelsea's first African heritage player, it would be dishonest if I said this news doesn't move me."

These were the sentiments expressed by the former Chelsea winger, the man who earned his groundbreaking first appearance for the Blues' first team as a substitute in the spring of 1982.

On Tuesday, Chelsea appointed RC Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, aged 41, to be their new manager after the departure of manager Enzo Maresca.

The French club is part of a Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo that also controls the London club.

Statistics show just twelve of African or Caribbean heritage head coaches – not including individuals holding temporary caretaker roles – in the Premier League since it began 34 years ago.

"What really strikes me about Liam is he was raised and played not far from here, he knows this community," continued Canoville.

"Whenever youngsters see someone like Liam managing the team they support, someone they can identify with, who's from their ends, from a household that fights for what's right… that's profound demonstrating the path is there.

"Indeed, this represents a massive step for Chelsea, for the capital, for every aspiring individual with big dreams.

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

What Does the Data Reveal?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit became Chelsea head coach in 1996 thereby becoming the top flight's first black head coach.

Twelve years later, by 2008, Paul Ince became the first English black boss in the top flight when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other current top flight gaffer of colour.

The lack of managers of colour across English football is matched by an absence of diversity in the boardroom.

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

Yet, research from Kick It Out revealed just 3.2 percent of executive and leadership management teams across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

At first-team coaching positions, based on data from eleven clubs, the figure stands at two percent.

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

"He's certainly made history in terms of his appointment as Chelsea manager, and we want to see more of that," stated the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged there is loads of talent that exists in the black and underrepresented communities... aspiring coaches desire a chance to demonstrate what they can do. We need to continue to striving to dismantle those barriers down."

Furthermore, Rosenior will become one of only four permanent English head coaches currently in the Premier League – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – which trails the continent's remaining major divisions in terms of national representation.

Sixteen out of twenty first division coaches in Serie A are Italian, 11 of the 20 are Spanish, 12 in the Bundesliga in Germany while Ten of the 18 in France.

Current Blues interim boss Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure every aspiring British coaches from an academy background are, to some degree regardless of allegiance, rooting for Liam.

"It is really motivating for young English academy coaches to witness someone get such a role with his background and we hope he does really well."

It is vital to remember – he's there due to ability'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, played for the likes of Fulham, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career culminating in a brief stint at then-League One side Brentford FC back in 2006.

In 2019, he received a Member of the Order of the British Empire in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered to tackling discrimination within the sport and beyond.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he followed a path in management. He started writing a column for a national newspaper, and in one piece he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that race does not influence coaching skill and said roles must be awarded based on qualification.

He also made a point he would repeat: how vast lack of diversity results in misunderstandings of players with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

During an interview for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted how his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" and "passionate", but said he could relate to the Netherlands player of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to follow him with a move from France to West London in July.

In subsequent Guardian columns, he also confessed he was "ashamed" upon hearing a coach make a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the Premier League's Rainbow Laces initiative and authored an open letter to the former US President while he was in office, condemning his "blatant" prejudice.

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

Rosenior said goodbye to his former club on Tuesday morning prior to putting pen to paper on a six‑and‑a‑half‑year deal with the Blues.

The Blues boasted the Premier League's pioneering black boss in Gullit as well as the first black skipper named Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since held multiple senior positions, including the FA's diversity and inclusion board|