An Moving Moment as Rosenior Shatters Barriers

"He is an excellent tactician who knows the game intimately, which is what matters most.

"But, in my role as the Blues' pioneering black footballer, I would be lying if I said this moment does not affect me."

These were the sentiments of the former Chelsea winger, who made his groundbreaking first appearance for the Blues' first team as a substitute back in April 1982.

This week, Chelsea hired RC Strasbourg manager Rosenior, aged 41, as their next head coach after the exit of manager Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned ownership group which also controls the London club.

There have been a mere twelve of African or Caribbean heritage head coaches – excluding those holding interim positions – in the Premier League since it began thirty-four years ago.

"What really strikes me regarding Rosenior is he grew up and played not far from here, he knows the local fans," continued Canoville.

"Whenever children see someone like Liam managing the team they support, someone they can identify with, who's from their ends, from a family that fights for what's right… it is powerful and shows them that opportunities exist.

"Indeed, it is an enormous moment for Chelsea, for London, for every young person with big dreams.

"However, currently? We must support Rosenior, give him what he needs, and allow him to get on with the job."

What Do the Data Show?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit became Chelsea head coach in 1996 and became the top flight's inaugural African heritage head coach.

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.

The Hammers' boss Nuno Espirito Santo is the only other current top flight gaffer from a minority ethnic background.

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

According to the Black Footballers Partnership 2023's report, forty-three percent of Premier League players come from black heritage.

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

Regarding first-team coaching positions, based on figures provided by 11 clubs, the figure stands at two percent.

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

"He's certainly made history by virtue of his appointment as 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 there is loads of talent that exists within ethnic minority groups... aspiring coaches desire the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. We need to continue to work hard to break those obstacles down."

Additionally, Rosenior is set to become one of only four full-time British head coaches currently managing in the top flight – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – which lags behind the continent's remaining big five divisions regarding national representation.

16 of the 20 top-flight coaches in Serie A are from Italy, Eleven in La Liga are Spanish, Twelve of the 18 are German and Ten of the 18 in France.

Current Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure all aspiring British coaches from an academy background are, to some degree no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's really inspirational to up-and-coming British academy coaches to witness someone land that job with that profile and we hope he does really well."

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

His father, Leroy, Rosenior Sr., had a career with the likes of West London clubs, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career culminating in a brief spell in charge of the third-tier club Brentford in 2006.

Two years ago, he received an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered in combating inequality within the sport and wider society.

After Liam retired from playing he followed his father's footsteps. He began penning a column for The Guardian, where in 2017 he addressed the lack of diversity of black coaches. He pointed out that race does not influence coaching skill arguing that opportunities must be awarded on merit.

He further expressed the view he has often stated: how significant under-representation leads to a failure to understand regarding footballers from different cultural and ethnic heritage.

In a podcast for a football podcast, he explained how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "difficult" and "passionate", but said he could relate to the Netherlands player of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to join him in moving from France to West London this summer.

In further Guardian columns, Rosenior also admitted he was "ashamed" upon hearing a staff member make a discriminatory remark. He pledged his support for the Premier League's Rainbow Laces initiative and authored an open letter to Donald Trump during his first US presidency, condemning his "overt" racism.

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

Rosenior said his farewells at Strasbourg on Tuesday morning prior to putting pen to paper on a six‑and‑a‑half‑year deal at Chelsea.

The Blues had the Premier League's pioneering black boss with Gullit as well as the first black captain in Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since worked in several senior positions, among them the Football Association's diversity and inclusion board|