An Moving Milestone as Liam Rosenior Breaks Boundaries

"He is a quality coach that knows the game inside out, and that's what matters most.

"However, as the Blues' first African heritage player, I would be lying if I said this moment doesn't move me."

Those are the sentiments of the former Chelsea winger, the man who made his groundbreaking first appearance for the Blues' first team off the bench in the spring of 1982.

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

Strasbourg are within the multi-club ownership group which also controls Chelsea.

Statistics show just twelve black head coaches – not including those holding interim positions – in the Premier League since it began 34 in the past.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is that he was raised and developed his game not far from here, he knows this area," added Canoville.

"Whenever kids observe someone like Liam in charge of their club, someone who looks like them, who's from their ends, from a family that fights for what's right… it is impactful and shows them the path is there.

"Indeed, it is a huge step for Chelsea, for the capital, for every 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 Does the Data Show?

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

Twelve years later, in 2008, Paul Ince became the first English black manager in the Premier League after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers' manager Nuno Espirito Santo is the only other present Premier League gaffer of colour.

The scarcity of ethnic minority managers across English football corresponds with a lack of representation in the boardroom.

According to the BFP 2023's study, 43% of Premier League footballers come from African or Caribbean backgrounds.

However, analysis from Kick It Out revealed only 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership management teams at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

At first-team coaching positions, according to data provided by eleven clubs, the percentage stands at two percent.

Across all coaching positions – including senior roles – from those same eleven clubs, the statistic is just 5%.

"He has undoubtedly broken barriers in terms of his appointment as Chelsea head coach, and as an organization, we hope to see more of that," stated Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"We know that there exists a wealth of ability present in the black and underrepresented communities... aspiring coaches want a chance to show their capabilities. We need to persist in striving to dismantle those barriers once and for all."

Additionally, Rosenior will become the fourth permanent British managers presently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which trails the continent's remaining major divisions in terms of national managers.

16 out of twenty top-flight coaches in Serie A are from Italy, 11 of the 20 in Spain, Twelve of the 18 are German while Ten of the 18 in France.

Current Blues caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I have no doubt every young English managers with a youth development pedigree are, to some degree no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's truly motivating for up-and-coming British academy coaches to witness someone get that job with his background and everyone hopes he does really well."

It is vital to remember – he's there on merit'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, played for the likes of West London clubs, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career culminating in a five-month spell at the third-tier club Brentford FC in 2006.

Two years ago, he was awarded an MBE in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered to tackling inequality in football and wider society.

After Liam retired from playing he followed his father's footsteps. He started writing articles for The Guardian, and in one piece he acknowledged the under-representation among managers. He highlighted that ethnicity does not determine ability and said roles must be awarded based on qualification.

He also made a point he would repeat: how significant under-representation results in a failure to understand of players from different ethnic and cultural heritage.

In a podcast for a football podcast, he explained how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" and "passionate", noting that he understood the Netherlands player of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to join him with a move from France to West London this summer.

In subsequent newspaper articles, Rosenior also admitted to being "embarrassed" upon hearing an unnamed coach make a homophobic slur. He pledged his support for the Premier League's inclusion campaign and wrote a public message to the former US President during his first US presidency, accusing him of "overt" racism.

Rosenior has since made his name as a manager – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney recently stating Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" after their collaboration at Derby County.

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

The Blues had the Premier League's first African heritage boss in Gullit as well as the first black skipper in Paul Elliott.

Elliott later worked in multiple senior positions, among them the FA's equality board|