An Emotional Moment as Rosenior Overcomes Barriers

"Rosenior represents an excellent manager who understands the game inside out, which is what matters most.

"However, in my role as Chelsea's pioneering African heritage player, it would be dishonest if I said this appointment does not affect me."

Those are the words expressed by Paul Canoville, who made his historic debut for the Blues' first team off the bench in the spring of 1982.

On Tuesday, Chelsea appointed Strasbourg boss Rosenior, aged 41, as their next head coach after the departure of manager Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within the multi-club BlueCo which also owns the London club.

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

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is he grew up and played not far from here, he knows this area," continued Canoville.

"Whenever youngsters observe someone like Liam in charge of the team they support, someone they can identify with, who's from their ends, from a household that fights for equality… that's powerful demonstrating that opportunities exist.

"So yes, it is an enormous moment for the club, for London, for every young person with big dreams.

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

What Exactly Do the Statistics Show?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit was appointed Chelsea manager back in the nineties thereby becoming the top flight's first African heritage head coach.

Twelve years later, in 2008, Paul Ince became the pioneering black English manager in the Premier League when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is the sole additional current Premier League gaffer from a minority ethnic background.

The scarcity of managers of colour throughout English football corresponds with an absence of representation in the boardroom.

According to the Black Footballers Partnership 2023 report, 43% of Premier League players come from African or Caribbean backgrounds.

However, research by the equality organization found only 3.2% of executive and leadership positions at most Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic communities.

At senior coaching level, based on data from 11 clubs, the percentage is 2%.

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

"He's certainly made history in terms of him being announced as Chelsea manager, and as an organization, we want to witness more such appointments," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"We know there is loads of ability that exists in the black and underrepresented communities... they want the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. We need to continue to striving to break those obstacles down."

Additionally, the new appointee will become the fourth permanent English managers presently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which trails Europe's remaining big five divisions in terms of national representation.

Sixteen out of twenty top-flight managers in Serie A are from Italy, 11 in La Liga are Spanish, Twelve in the Bundesliga in Germany and Ten in Ligue 1 are French.

Current Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane commented: "I have no doubt all aspiring British managers from an academy background are, in some way no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It is really inspirational to up-and-coming British coaches in the system to see someone land that job with that profile and everyone hopes he does really well."

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

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, had a career with clubs such as West London clubs, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career peaked with a five-month stint at then-League One side Brentford back in 2006.

In 2019, he received an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours for his services to tackling discrimination in football and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he pursued a path in management. He started writing a column for a national newspaper, where in 2017 he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He highlighted that ethnicity does not influence coaching skill and said opportunities should be given based on qualification.

He also made the view he would repeat: that vast lack of diversity results in a failure to understand regarding footballers with diverse cultural and ethnic heritage.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, he explained how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "difficult" and "emotional", but said he understood the Netherlands international of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to follow him in moving from Strasbourg to West London in July.

In further newspaper articles, he also confessed to being "ashamed" upon hearing a staff member make a discriminatory remark. He pledged his support for the Rainbow Laces initiative and wrote a public message to the former US President during his first US presidency, condemning his "overt" prejudice.

Rosenior has since built his reputation in the dugout – first at Hull City, later at Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney recently stating Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" after their collaboration with Derby.

Rosenior said his farewells to his former club on Tuesday morning before signing a six‑and‑a‑half‑year deal with the Blues.

The Blues had the top flight's pioneering black manager in Gullit and the first black captain in Paul Elliott.

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