An Emotional Moment when Rosenior Shatters Obstacles

"Liam Rosenior is an excellent tactician who understands football intimately, and that's what matters most.

"However, as Chelsea's first African heritage player, it would be dishonest to claim this appointment does not affect me."

These were the words of Paul Canoville, who earned his groundbreaking debut for Chelsea's senior side off the bench in April 1982.

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

The French club is within the multi-club BlueCo which also controls the London club.

There have been a mere 12 black managers – not including those in temporary caretaker positions – in England's top flight since it began 34 years ago.

"What really strikes me about Liam is he was raised and developed his game locally, he understands this area," continued Canoville.

"When children see someone like Liam in charge of their club, a person who looks like them, from a similar background, who comes from a family that champions what's right… it is powerful and shows them that opportunities exist.

"Indeed, it is a massive step for the club, for the capital, for all young person with big dreams.

"However, currently? We must support Rosenior, give him the necessary tools, and let the man get on with the job."

What Exactly Does the Numbers Reveal?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit became 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 English black boss in the Premier League when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other present Premier League boss from a minority ethnic background.

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

As per the Black Footballers Partnership 2023 study, forty-three percent of Premier League players are from African or Caribbean heritage.

Yet, research by the equality organization revealed only 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership positions at most Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

At first-team coaching positions, based on figures provided by eleven clubs, the figure stands at two percent.

For all coaching roles – encompassing head coaches – from the same 11 clubs, the figure is just 5%.

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

"It is acknowledged there is a wealth of ability present in the ethnic minority groups... they want the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. We need to persist in striving to dismantle those obstacles down."

Furthermore, Rosenior will become one of only four full-time British managers currently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's remaining major leagues regarding homegrown representation.

Sixteen of the 20 top-flight coaches in Italy are Italian, Eleven in La Liga in Spain, Twelve of the 18 are German while Ten of the 18 are French.

Current Blues caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure every young English coaches with a youth development pedigree will be, in some way no matter who you support, supporting Liam.

"It is really inspirational to up-and-coming British academy coaches to see someone land that job with that profile and everyone hopes he will be highly successful."

'Let's not forget – he's there based on talent'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, played for the likes of Fulham, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career culminating in a brief spell in charge of 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 in combating inequality within the sport and wider society.

After Liam hung up his boots he followed his father's footsteps. He began writing a column for a national newspaper, and in one piece he acknowledged the under-representation among managers. He pointed out that ethnicity does not influence ability and said opportunities should be given on merit.

He also made a point he would repeat: that vast under-representation results in misunderstandings regarding footballers with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, Rosenior highlighted the way his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" or "passionate", but said he understood the Dutch player of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to follow him with a move from Strasbourg to West London in July.

In further newspaper articles, Rosenior also admitted he was "ashamed" upon hearing an unnamed staff member utter a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign and wrote a public message to Donald Trump while he was in office, accusing him of "overt" racism.

He has subsequently built his reputation in the dugout – first at Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" following their collaboration at Derby County.

Rosenior said goodbye at Strasbourg earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a six‑and‑a‑half‑year deal at Chelsea.

Chelsea boasted the Premier League's pioneering African heritage manager with Gullit and the first black skipper in Paul Elliott.

Elliott has since worked in multiple executive roles, among them the FA's diversity and inclusion board|