An Emotional Moment as Rosenior Overcomes Obstacles

"Rosenior represents an excellent manager who understands the game intimately, and that's the most important thing.

"However, in my role as the Blues' first African heritage footballer, I would be lying if I said this news does not affect me."

These were the words expressed by the former Chelsea winger, who made his groundbreaking debut for the Blues' first team as a substitute in April 1982.

On Tuesday, Chelsea named Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, aged 41, as their next head coach following the departure of manager Enzo Maresca.

The French club is part of the multi-club ownership group that also controls Chelsea.

There have been only twelve black head coaches – excluding those holding interim positions – in the Premier League since its inception 34 years ago.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is he grew up and developed his game locally, he knows the local fans," added Canoville.

"Whenever kids observe someone like Liam in charge of the team they support, a person who looks like them, who's from their ends, from a household that champions what's right… it is profound and shows them that opportunities exist.

"So yes, it is a massive step for the club, for the capital, for every young person with big dreams.

"But right now? We must support Rosenior, give him the necessary tools, and allow him to do his work."

What Exactly Does the Data Reveal?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit became the Blues' head coach back in the nineties and became the top flight's first black head coach.

Twelve years later, in 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the pioneering black English manager in the Premier League when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other present Premier League gaffer from a minority ethnic background.

The scarcity of managers of colour throughout the English game corresponds with an absence of diversity at executive level.

According to the BFP 2023's report, 43% of Premier League footballers come from black backgrounds.

Yet, research from Kick It Out revealed just 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership positions across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse communities.

Regarding senior coaching level, based on data from 11 clubs, the percentage is 2%.

Across all coaching positions – encompassing head coaches – from those same eleven clubs, the figure is just five percent.

"He has undoubtedly made history by virtue of him being announced as a the Chelsea manager, and as an organization, we want to see more of that," stated the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

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

Furthermore, Rosenior will become the fourth permanent English head coaches presently managing in the top flight – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which lags behind Europe's remaining big five divisions in terms of homegrown representation.

16 of the 20 top-flight managers in Italy are from Italy, Eleven of the 20 are Spanish, 12 in the Bundesliga in Germany while Ten in Ligue 1 are French.

The present Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I have no doubt every aspiring British managers from an academy background will be, in some way no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's truly motivating for young English academy coaches to witness an individual get that job with his background and we hope he does highly successful."

'Let's not forget – he's there based on talent'

His father, Leroy, Rosenior Sr., played for clubs such as West London clubs, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his coaching stint culminating in a five-month stint in charge of then-League One side Brentford FC in 2006.

Two years ago, he was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered to tackling discrimination within the sport and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he pursued a path in management. He began penning a column for a national newspaper, where in 2017 he acknowledged the lack of diversity among managers. He pointed out that race does not determine coaching skill arguing that roles should be given on merit.

He also made a point he has often stated: how significant lack of diversity results in misunderstandings of players with diverse cultural and ethnic heritage.

In a podcast for a football podcast, he explained how his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "difficult" or "passionate", noting that he understood the Netherlands player of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to follow him with a move from France to Chelsea in July.

In further newspaper articles, he also confessed he was "embarrassed" upon hearing an unnamed coach make a discriminatory remark. He pledged his support for the Premier League's inclusion initiative and authored a public message to Donald Trump while he was in office, condemning his "blatant" prejudice.

Rosenior has since made his name as a manager – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" after their time together with Derby.

Rosenior said goodbye at Strasbourg earlier this week before signing a six‑and‑a‑half‑year contract with the Blues.

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

Elliott has since held multiple executive roles, among them the FA's diversity and inclusion board|