An Moving Milestone when Rosenior Breaks Obstacles

"He is a top coach that knows the game back to front, which is the most important thing.

"But, as the Blues' first black player, it would be dishonest to claim this news fails to move me."

These were the sentiments expressed by the former Chelsea winger, the man who made his groundbreaking debut for the Blues' first team off the bench in the spring of 1982.

On Tuesday, the club appointed Strasbourg manager Rosenior, 41, as their next manager after the exit of manager Enzo Maresca.

The French club is within the multi-club ownership group which also owns Chelsea.

There have been a mere 12 black head coaches – not including individuals holding 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.

"Whenever children see a figure like Rosenior in charge of the team they support, someone who looks like them, from a similar background, who comes from a household that champions what's right… it is impactful demonstrating the path is there.

"Indeed, this represents a huge moment for Chelsea, for the capital, for every aspiring individual dreaming big.

"However, currently? We must support Rosenior, provide him with what he needs, and let the man do his work."

What Does the Data Show?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit became the Blues' manager back in the nineties and became the top flight's inaugural African heritage head coach.

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

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

The lack of managers of colour across the English game corresponds with a lack of diversity in the boardroom.

According to a Black Footballers Partnership 2023 report, 43% of top-flight footballers are from black heritage.

However, research by Kick It Out revealed only 3.2 percent of board and senior leadership positions at most Premier League clubs are from minority ethnic communities.

Regarding senior coaching positions, based on figures provided by 11 clubs, the percentage is 2%.

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

"He's certainly made history by virtue of his appointment as Chelsea manager, and we hope to see more of that," stated Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged there is a wealth of ability present within ethnic minority groups... aspiring coaches desire a chance to demonstrate their capabilities. We need to persist in striving to dismantle those barriers down."

Additionally, the new appointee will become the fourth permanent British managers currently in the Premier League – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's remaining big five leagues in terms of homegrown representation.

Sixteen out of twenty first division managers in Italy are from Italy, Eleven in La Liga are Spanish, Twelve in the Bundesliga in Germany while Ten in Ligue 1 are French.

Current Blues interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I have no doubt all young English coaches from an academy background will be, to some degree no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It is truly inspirational for young English coaches in the system to witness someone land such a role with that profile and we hope he does highly successful."

It is vital to remember – his appointment is on merit'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, had a career with clubs such as Fulham, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, and his coaching stint peaked with a brief stint at then-League One side Brentford FC in 2006.

Two years ago, he received an MBE in that year's Honours List for services rendered to tackling discrimination in football and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he pursued a path in management. He began writing a column for The Guardian, and in one piece he addressed the under-representation of black coaches. He highlighted that race does not determine coaching skill arguing that roles should be given on merit.

He further expressed the view he would repeat: that significant under-representation leads to a failure to understand of players from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

In a podcast for a football podcast, he explained the way his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" or "passionate", noting that he understood the Dutch international of Nigerian descent. Emegha is set to follow him in moving from France to West London this summer.

In further Guardian columns, he also confessed he was "embarrassed" to hear a coach make a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the Premier League's inclusion campaign and wrote a public message to Donald Trump during his first US presidency, accusing him of "overt" racism.

Rosenior has since made his name in the dugout – first at Hull City, then Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney said this week he was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" after their time together with Derby.

The manager bid goodbye at Strasbourg earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Blues.

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

Elliott has since worked in several executive roles, among them the Football Association's diversity and inclusion board|