An Moving Moment as Rosenior Breaks Obstacles

"Rosenior represents an excellent coach that knows football inside out, and that's the crucial factor.

"However, in my role as Chelsea's first black player, it would be dishonest if I said this news fails to move me."

Those are the words expressed by Paul Canoville, who earned his historic debut for Chelsea's senior side off the bench back in April 1982.

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

The French club is part of a multi-club ownership group which also owns the London club.

Statistics show just twelve of African or Caribbean heritage head coaches – not including those holding temporary caretaker roles – in the Premier League since its inception 34 in the past.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is that he grew up and developed his game locally, he knows this community," continued Canoville.

"Whenever kids see someone like Liam managing the team they support, a person they can identify with, from a similar background, from a household that champions what's right… it is impactful demonstrating the path is there.

"Indeed, it is a huge moment for the club, for the capital, for every young person dreaming big.

"However, currently? Let's back Liam, provide him with what he needs, and let the man get on with the job."

What Do the Statistics Show?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit became Chelsea head coach in 1996 and became the top flight's first black manager.

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

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is the only other current Premier League boss of colour.

The scarcity of ethnic minority managers throughout English football is matched by an absence of representation at executive level.

As per a BFP 2023's report, 43% of Premier League players are from African or Caribbean backgrounds.

Yet, research by Kick It Out found just 3.2% of board and senior leadership positions across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic communities.

At first-team coaching positions, based on figures from 11 clubs, the figure is 2%.

Across all coaching positions – encompassing senior roles – from the same eleven clubs, the statistic is just five percent.

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

"It is acknowledged that there exists a wealth of ability that exists within black and underrepresented groups... they want a chance to demonstrate what they can do. We need to persist in work hard to dismantle those obstacles once and for all."

Furthermore, Rosenior will become the fourth full-time British head coaches currently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's other major leagues regarding homegrown managers.

Sixteen of the 20 first division managers in Italy are from Italy, Eleven of the 20 are Spanish, 12 of the 18 are German and 10 of the 18 are French.

The present Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure every aspiring British coaches from an academy background will be, to some degree no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It's truly motivating for young English coaches in the system to see someone land that job with his background and everyone hopes he will be really well."

'Let's not forget – his appointment is on merit'

Leroy Rosenior, Rosenior Sr., had a career with clubs such as Fulham, the Hammers as well as Queens Park Rangers, with his coaching stint peaked with a brief spell at the third-tier club Brentford back in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded an MBE in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for his services to tackling discrimination in football and wider society.

After Liam retired from playing he pursued his father's footsteps. He started writing articles for a national newspaper, where in 2017 he acknowledged the lack of diversity of black coaches. He highlighted that race does not determine ability and said roles should be given based on qualification.

He also made the view he would repeat: how vast under-representation results in misunderstandings regarding footballers with diverse ethnic and cultural heritage.

During an interview for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "difficult" and "passionate", noting that he could relate to the Dutch player with Nigerian parentage. Emegha is set to join him with a move from France to West London in July.

In subsequent Guardian columns, he also confessed he was "ashamed" to hear a staff member utter a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the Premier League's Rainbow Laces initiative and authored a public message to the former US President during his first US presidency, accusing him of "overt" racism.

Rosenior has since made his name in the dugout – initially with Hull City, later at Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" following their time together at Derby County.

The manager bid goodbye to his former club on Tuesday morning prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term contract at Chelsea.

Chelsea had the Premier League's first African heritage manager with Gullit and the first black skipper named Paul Elliott.

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