An Emotional Milestone as Liam Rosenior Breaks Boundaries

"Rosenior represents an excellent tactician that knows football intimately, which is what matters most.

"But, in my role as Chelsea's pioneering African heritage footballer, I would be lying to claim this news doesn't move me."

These were the sentiments expressed by the former Chelsea winger, who made his groundbreaking first appearance for Chelsea's senior side as a substitute in April 1982.

On Tuesday, Chelsea named Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, 41, to be their next manager after the departure of Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within a Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned BlueCo which also owns the London club.

There have been just twelve black managers – excluding individuals holding interim positions – in England's top flight since its inception 34 years ago.

"What really strikes me about Liam is that he was raised and played not far from here, he understands this community," continued Canoville.

"When kids see someone like Liam in charge of their club, a person they can identify with, who's from their ends, from a household that fights for what's right… that's profound and shows them the path is there.

"Indeed, this represents an enormous step for the club, for London, for all young person with big dreams.

"But right now? Let's back Liam, give him what he needs, and let the man do his work."

What Exactly Do the Data Show?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit became Chelsea manager back in the nineties thereby becoming the Premier League's first black head coach.

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

The Hammers' boss Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other current top flight boss of colour.

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

As per the Black Footballers Partnership 2023's report, forty-three percent of top-flight footballers are from African or Caribbean heritage.

Yet, research by Kick It Out revealed only 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership positions across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are held by people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Regarding senior coaching positions, based on figures from 11 clubs, the figure stands at two percent.

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

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

"It is acknowledged there is loads of ability that exists in the black and underrepresented groups... they desire the opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. It is imperative to persist in work hard to break those barriers once and for all."

Additionally, the new appointee will become the fourth full-time English head coaches currently managing in the top flight – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which trails the continent's other big five divisions in terms of national managers.

Sixteen of the 20 first division managers in Italy are Italian, Eleven in La Liga in Spain, 12 of the 18 are German and Ten of the 18 are French.

Current Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure every aspiring British coaches with a youth development pedigree are, to some degree regardless of allegiance, supporting Liam.

"It's really inspirational for young English coaches in the system to see an individual get such a role with his background and we hope he will be really well."

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

His father, Leroy, Rosenior Sr., played for the likes of Fulham, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, and his managerial career culminating in a five-month stint in charge of then-League One side Brentford FC in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 New Year Honours for services rendered in combating inequality within the sport and beyond.

After Liam retired from playing he followed a path in management. He began writing a column for a national newspaper, and in one piece he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He highlighted that ethnicity does not influence ability arguing that opportunities must be awarded based on qualification.

He further expressed the view he would repeat: how significant under-representation leads to a failure to understand regarding footballers from different ethnic and cultural heritage.

In a podcast for a football podcast, he explained how his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "difficult" or "emotional", but said he understood the Netherlands international with Nigerian parentage. The striker is expected to join him in moving from Strasbourg to West London this summer.

In further newspaper articles, Rosenior also admitted he was "ashamed" upon hearing an unnamed coach make a homophobic slur. He vowed support for the inclusion campaign and wrote a public message to the former US President during his first US presidency, accusing him of "overt" racism.

Rosenior has since built his reputation as a manager – initially with Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney recently stating he was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" after their collaboration with Derby.

The manager bid his farewells to his former club earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term deal with the Blues.

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

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