An Moving Moment as Rosenior Breaks Obstacles

"Rosenior represents an excellent tactician that understands football inside out, which is the crucial factor.

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

Those are the words of the former Chelsea winger, the man who made his groundbreaking debut for Chelsea's senior side as a substitute back in April 1982.

This week, Chelsea appointed Strasbourg manager Rosenior, aged 41, to be their next manager following the exit of Enzo Maresca.

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

Statistics show just 12 black head coaches – not including individuals holding interim roles – in England's top flight since it began thirty-four in the past.

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

"Whenever children see someone like Liam managing their club, a person they can identify with, from a similar background, who comes from a family that champions what's right… that's powerful and shows them that opportunities exist.

"Indeed, it is a huge step for the club, for London, for all young person with big dreams.

"But right now? We must support Rosenior, provide him with what he needs, and allow him to get on with the job."

What Does the Numbers Indicate?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit was appointed the Blues' manager back in the nineties thereby becoming the Premier League's first black head coach.

A dozen years on, by 2008, Paul Ince became the first English black manager in the Premier League after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

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

The scarcity of managers of colour throughout English football corresponds with a lack of diversity at executive level.

As per the BFP 2023's study, forty-three percent of top-flight players are from African or Caribbean heritage.

However, analysis from Kick It Out revealed only 3.2% of board and senior leadership positions at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are from minority ethnic communities.

Regarding senior coaching level, according to figures from eleven clubs, the percentage is two percent.

For all coaching roles – encompassing head coaches – from the same eleven clubs, the statistic is five percent.

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

"We know that there exists a wealth of talent that exists in the black and underrepresented groups... they desire a chance to demonstrate their capabilities. We need to continue to striving to break those obstacles down."

Additionally, Rosenior will become the fourth full-time British head coaches presently managing in the top flight – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – a number that trails Europe's other major leagues in terms of national managers.

Sixteen out of twenty top-flight coaches in Italy are Italian, Eleven in La Liga in Spain, 12 in the Bundesliga are German while 10 in Ligue 1 in France.

Current Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure every aspiring British coaches from an academy background are, in some way regardless of allegiance, supporting Liam.

"It is really inspirational for young English academy coaches to witness an individual land that job with his background and everyone hopes he does highly successful."

'Let's not forget – his appointment is due to ability'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, had a career with clubs such as Fulham, the Hammers and Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career peaked with a five-month stint in charge of then-League One side Brentford back in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 New Year Honours for his services to tackling discrimination within the sport and beyond.

After Liam hung up his boots he pursued a path in management. He started writing articles for The Guardian, where in 2017 he acknowledged the lack of diversity of black coaches. He highlighted that ethnicity does not determine ability and said opportunities must be awarded based on qualification.

He further expressed a point he would repeat: how significant lack of diversity leads to a failure to understand of players from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

During an interview with The Athletic FC, he explained how his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" or "passionate", but said he could relate to the Dutch international of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to join him in moving from France to Chelsea this summer.

In further newspaper articles, he also confessed to being "embarrassed" to hear an unnamed coach utter a homophobic slur. He vowed support for the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign and wrote a public message to Donald Trump while he was in office, accusing him of "overt" prejudice.

Rosenior has since made his name as a manager – initially with Hull City, later at Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney said this week he was "among the best coaches 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 long-term deal with the Blues.

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

Elliott later worked in several executive roles, among them the FA's diversity and inclusion board|