A Emotional Milestone as Rosenior Shatters Boundaries

"He is a quality coach who knows football back to front, which is the crucial factor.

"However, as Chelsea's first African heritage footballer, it would be dishonest if I said this appointment doesn't move me."

Those are the sentiments expressed by the former Chelsea winger, the man who made his historic first appearance for Chelsea's senior side off the bench back in the spring of 1982.

On Tuesday, the club hired RC Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, 41, as their next head coach following the departure of Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are part of the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo which also controls Chelsea.

There have been just twelve of African or Caribbean heritage managers – not including those holding interim roles – in England's top flight since it began thirty-four years ago.

"What really strikes me regarding Rosenior is that he grew up and played not far from here, he knows this community," added Canoville.

"When youngsters see someone like Liam managing the team they support, a person who looks like them, who's from their ends, who comes from a household that champions equality… it is impactful and shows them the path is there.

"Indeed, it is a massive moment for Chelsea, for the capital, for all aspiring individual dreaming big.

"But right now? We must support Rosenior, provide him with what he needs, and let the man do his work."

What Exactly Do the Numbers Reveal?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit became the Blues' manager in 1996 and became the top flight's first black manager.

A dozen years on, in 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the pioneering black English boss in the Premier League after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the sole additional present Premier League gaffer of colour.

The shortage of managers of colour throughout the English game corresponds with a lack of diversity at executive level.

According to a BFP 2023 report, 43% of top-flight footballers come from African or Caribbean backgrounds.

Yet, research from the equality organization found just 3.2 percent of executive and leadership positions at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

At first-team coaching positions, based on data from 11 clubs, the figure is two percent.

For all coaching positions – including senior roles – from those same 11 clubs, the figure is five percent.

"He has undoubtedly broken barriers by virtue of his appointment as a Chelsea manager, and we hope to witness more such appointments," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged that there exists loads of talent present within black and underrepresented communities... aspiring coaches want a chance to show what they can do. We need to persist in work hard to dismantle those obstacles once and for all."

Furthermore, Rosenior is set to become one of only four permanent British managers presently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's remaining big five leagues in terms of homegrown representation.

Sixteen out of twenty first division managers in Serie A are Italian, 11 of the 20 in Spain, 12 of the 18 in Germany while Ten of the 18 are French.

Current Blues interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure every young English coaches from an academy background are, in some way no matter who you support, supporting Liam.

"It's truly motivating for young English coaches in the system to witness someone get such a role with that profile and we hope he does highly successful."

'Let's not forget – he's there due to ability'

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

Two years ago, he was awarded an MBE in the Honours List for services rendered to tackling discrimination in football and wider society.

After Liam retired from playing he followed his father's footsteps. He began writing articles for a national newspaper, and in one piece he addressed the under-representation of black coaches. He pointed out that ethnicity does not determine coaching skill and said roles should be given based on qualification.

He also made a point he would repeat: that significant under-representation results in misunderstandings regarding footballers from different ethnic and cultural heritage.

During an interview for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "difficult" or "emotional", noting that he understood the Dutch international of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to follow him in moving from Strasbourg to Chelsea this summer.

In further newspaper articles, he also confessed he was "ashamed" to hear a coach utter a discriminatory remark. He pledged his support for the Rainbow Laces initiative and wrote an open letter to the former US President during his first US presidency, accusing him of "overt" racism.

He has subsequently made his name in the dugout – initially with Hull City, later at Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney recently stating he was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" following their time together with Derby.

The manager bid his farewells at Strasbourg earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term deal at Chelsea.

Chelsea boasted the Premier League's pioneering black manager in Gullit and the first black captain in Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since worked in several senior positions, including the FA's equality board|