An Historic Milestone when Rosenior Shatters Barriers

"Liam Rosenior is a top manager who understands the game inside out, and that's the most important thing.

"But, as Chelsea's first black footballer, it would be dishonest to claim this appointment doesn't move me."

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

This week, Chelsea named Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, aged 41, as their next head coach after the exit of manager Enzo Maresca.

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

There have been a mere 12 of African or Caribbean heritage managers – not including individuals in temporary caretaker positions – in England's top flight since it began thirty-four years ago.

"One thing that impresses me about Liam is he was raised and developed his game locally, he knows this community," added Canoville.

"Whenever youngsters observe a figure like Rosenior in charge of the team they support, a person who looks like them, from a similar background, from a family that fights for equality… that's powerful and shows them the path is there.

"Indeed, this represents a huge moment for Chelsea, for London, for all aspiring individual with big dreams.

"But right now? Let's back Liam, give him the necessary tools, and let the man get on with the job."

What Does the Numbers Indicate?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit was appointed Chelsea manager back in the nineties thereby becoming the top flight's inaugural black manager.

A dozen years on, by 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the first black English boss in the top flight after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

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

The scarcity of managers of colour throughout English football is matched by a lack of representation at executive level.

According to a Black Footballers Partnership 2023 report, forty-three percent of Premier League players come from black backgrounds.

However, research by the equality organization revealed just 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership management teams at most Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse communities.

Regarding senior coaching level, according to figures from 11 clubs, the percentage is 2%.

Across all coaching roles – including head coaches – from those same 11 clubs, the statistic is 5%.

"He has undoubtedly made history in terms of his appointment as a Chelsea head coach, and as an organization, we hope to witness more such appointments," stated Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged that there exists loads of talent that exists within black and underrepresented communities... they desire the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. We need to persist in work hard to dismantle those obstacles once and for all."

Additionally, Rosenior is set to become the fourth permanent English managers presently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that trails Europe's other major leagues in terms of homegrown representation.

16 out of twenty top-flight managers in Serie A are Italian, Eleven of the 20 are Spanish, 12 in the Bundesliga are German while 10 in Ligue 1 are French.

The present Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I'm sure every young English coaches from an academy background are, to some degree regardless of allegiance, supporting Liam.

"It's truly motivating to young English academy coaches to see someone land that job with that profile and we hope he does really well."

'Let's not forget – he's there on merit'

His father, Leroy, Rosenior Sr., played for clubs such as Fulham, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, and his coaching stint culminating in a five-month spell in charge of the third-tier club Brentford FC in 2006.

In 2019, he received a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Honours List for his services to tackling inequality within the sport and beyond.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he pursued his father's footsteps. He began writing a column for The Guardian, where in 2017 he addressed the lack of diversity of black coaches. He highlighted that race does not influence coaching skill and said roles must be awarded based on qualification.

He also made the view he has often stated: that significant lack of diversity results in misunderstandings regarding footballers with diverse cultural and ethnic heritage.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, Rosenior highlighted how his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" and "emotional", but said he understood the Dutch international 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 to being "ashamed" upon hearing an unnamed staff member make a homophobic slur. 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 "blatant" prejudice.

Rosenior has since built his reputation in the dugout – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney said this week Rosenior was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" following their collaboration with Derby.

The manager bid goodbye at Strasbourg earlier this week before signing a six‑and‑a‑half‑year contract with the Blues.

The Blues had the top flight's first African heritage manager with Gullit and the first black skipper named Paul Elliott.

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