An Historic Occasion as Liam Rosenior Overcomes Barriers

"Liam Rosenior is an excellent manager that knows football back to front, which is the most important thing.

"However, as Chelsea's first African heritage player, I would be lying to claim this appointment fails to move me."

These were the sentiments of the former Chelsea winger, who earned his historic debut for the Blues' first team off the bench back in the spring of 1982.

This week, the club hired RC Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior, aged 41, as their next manager after the exit of manager Enzo Maresca.

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

Statistics show only 12 black head coaches – not including individuals in interim positions – in the Premier League since it began 34 years ago.

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

"Whenever kids observe a figure like Rosenior managing the team they support, someone they can identify with, who's from their ends, from a family that fights for equality… it is impactful demonstrating the path is there.

"Indeed, this represents a huge step for Chelsea, for the capital, for all aspiring individual with big dreams.

"However, currently? Let's back Liam, give him the necessary tools, and let the man do his work."

What Exactly Do the Data Show?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit became the Blues' head coach back in the nineties thereby becoming the top flight's first African heritage head coach.

A dozen years on, by 2008, Paul Ince became the first black English 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 gaffer from a minority ethnic background.

The lack of ethnic minority managers throughout the English game is matched by a lack of diversity in the boardroom.

As per the Black Footballers Partnership 2023's report, 43% of Premier League players come from African or Caribbean heritage.

Yet, research from the equality organization found just 3.2% of board and senior leadership positions at 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

At senior coaching level, according to figures from 11 clubs, the figure stands at 2%.

For all coaching roles – including senior roles – from the same 11 clubs, the statistic is just five percent.

"He has undoubtedly broken barriers in terms of him being announced as a the Chelsea head coach, and as an organization, we want to witness more such appointments," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"We know that there exists loads of talent present in the black and underrepresented groups... aspiring coaches desire the opportunity to show what they can do. It is imperative to persist in striving to dismantle those obstacles down."

Furthermore, Rosenior is set to become one of only four full-time English head coaches currently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – which trails Europe's remaining big five leagues regarding national representation.

Sixteen of the 20 first division coaches in Serie A are Italian, 11 in La Liga in Spain, 12 of the 18 are German while Ten of the 18 in France.

The present Blues interim boss Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure every aspiring British managers with a youth development pedigree are, in some way regardless of allegiance, rooting for Liam.

"It's really inspirational for up-and-coming British coaches in the system to witness an individual get such a role with his background and everyone hopes he will be highly successful."

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

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

In 2019, he was awarded an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours for his services in combating inequality in football and wider society.

After Liam hung up his boots he followed a path in management. He started penning articles for The Guardian, where in 2017 he addressed the under-representation among managers. He highlighted that race does not influence ability arguing that opportunities should be given on merit.

He also made a point he has often stated: that significant under-representation results in a failure to understand regarding footballers with diverse ethnic and cultural heritage.

In a podcast for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted the way his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" or "passionate", but said he could relate to the Netherlands player with Nigerian parentage. The striker is expected to join him in moving from France to West London this summer.

In further Guardian columns, he also confessed to being "ashamed" upon hearing a staff member utter a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the inclusion campaign and wrote a public message to the former US President during his first US presidency, condemning his "blatant" racism.

Rosenior has since made his name as a manager – 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 time together at Derby County.

Rosenior said his farewells at Strasbourg on Tuesday morning prior to putting pen to paper on a six‑and‑a‑half‑year contract at Chelsea.

The Blues boasted the Premier League's first African heritage manager with Gullit as well as the first black captain named Paul Elliott.

Elliott later worked in multiple executive roles, among them the FA's equality board|