An Moving Moment as Rosenior Shatters Boundaries

"He is an excellent tactician that understands football intimately, and that's the most important thing.

"But, as the Blues' first African heritage player, I would be lying if I said this news fails to move me."

Those are the words expressed by the former Chelsea winger, the man who earned his groundbreaking first appearance for Chelsea's senior side off the bench back in April 1982.

This week, the club appointed Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, aged 41, to be their new manager following the departure of Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within a multi-club ownership group which also owns the London club.

There have been only twelve of African or Caribbean heritage head coaches – excluding individuals holding interim roles – in the Premier League since its inception 34 in the past.

"One thing that impresses me regarding Rosenior is he grew up and played not far from here, he understands this area," added Canoville.

"When youngsters observe a figure like Rosenior managing the team they support, a person who looks like them, who's from their ends, who comes from a family that fights for equality… that's impactful demonstrating the path is there.

"So yes, this represents an enormous step for the club, for the capital, for all young person dreaming big.

"But right now? Let's back Liam, give him what he needs, and allow him to get on with the job."

What Do the Numbers Indicate?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit was appointed Chelsea head coach in 1996 thereby becoming the top flight's first black head coach.

A dozen years on, in 2008, Paul Ince became the pioneering English black boss in the Premier League when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

The Hammers' manager Nuno Espirito Santo is the only other present top flight gaffer from a minority ethnic background.

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

As per the Black Footballers Partnership 2023's study, forty-three percent of top-flight footballers are from black backgrounds.

Yet, analysis from Kick It Out revealed just 3.2 percent of executive and leadership positions across most Premier League clubs are from ethnically diverse communities.

Regarding first-team coaching level, according to data provided by 11 clubs, the figure stands at two percent.

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

"He's certainly broken barriers in terms of him being announced as the Chelsea head coach, and we want to see more of that," stated the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged that there exists a wealth of ability that exists in the ethnic minority groups... they desire the opportunity to show their capabilities. It is imperative to persist in work hard to break those barriers down."

Additionally, the new appointee will become the fourth full-time English managers currently in the Premier League – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that lags behind Europe's remaining big five divisions in terms of homegrown managers.

16 of the 20 top-flight coaches in Italy are from Italy, Eleven of the 20 are Spanish, Twelve of the 18 in Germany and Ten of the 18 in France.

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

"It's truly inspirational to up-and-coming British coaches in the system to witness an individual land that job with that profile and everyone hopes he does highly successful."

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

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, played for clubs such as Fulham, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his coaching stint culminating in a five-month spell in charge of then-League One side Brentford FC in 2006.

Two years ago, he received a Member of the Order of the British Empire in that year's 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered to tackling inequality within the sport and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he pursued his father's footsteps. He started writing articles for a national newspaper, and in one piece he addressed the lack of diversity of black coaches. He pointed out that race does not determine ability and said opportunities should be given on merit.

He further expressed the view he would repeat: that vast lack of diversity results in a failure to understand of players from different cultural and ethnic heritage.

During an interview with The Athletic FC, he explained the way his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" and "emotional", noting that he understood the Netherlands international of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to follow him with a move from France to Chelsea in July.

In further newspaper articles, he also confessed to being "embarrassed" upon hearing an unnamed staff member utter a homophobic slur. He vowed support for the inclusion campaign and authored a public message to the former US President while he was in office, accusing him of "overt" racism.

Rosenior has since made his name as a manager – first at Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney said this week he was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" following their time together at Derby County.

The manager bid his farewells at Strasbourg earlier this week before signing a long-term contract at Chelsea.

The Blues boasted the Premier League's first black boss with Gullit and the first black captain in Paul Elliott.

Elliott later worked in several senior positions, including the Football Association's diversity and inclusion board|