A Emotional Occasion when Rosenior Breaks Obstacles

"Liam Rosenior is an excellent manager that knows football inside out, and that's the most important thing.

"However, in my role as Chelsea's first African heritage footballer, it would be dishonest to claim this appointment fails to move me."

Those are the sentiments of the former Chelsea winger, who made his groundbreaking debut for the Blues' first team as a substitute back in April 1982.

On Tuesday, the club hired Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, 41, as their new manager following the departure of Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are within the multi-club ownership group that also controls the London club.

Statistics show a mere twelve black managers – not including individuals in temporary caretaker roles – in England's top flight since it began 34 in the past.

"What really strikes me about Liam is that he grew up and played not far from here, he knows the local fans," continued Canoville.

"Whenever children observe someone like Liam managing the team they support, someone who looks like them, who's from their ends, who comes from a household that champions equality… it is impactful demonstrating the path is there.

"Indeed, it is a massive step for Chelsea, for the capital, for every young person dreaming big.

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

What Exactly Does the Numbers Show?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit was appointed the Blues' manager in 1996 thereby becoming the Premier League's first African heritage manager.

A dozen years on, in 2008, Paul Ince was appointed as the pioneering black English manager in the Premier League after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the sole additional present top flight boss from a minority ethnic background.

The lack of managers of colour across the English game is matched by an absence of diversity in the boardroom.

As per a Black Footballers Partnership 2023's study, 43% of top-flight players are from African or Caribbean heritage.

Yet, research from the equality organization revealed just 3.2% of board and senior leadership management teams across most Premier League clubs are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Regarding senior coaching level, according to data provided by eleven clubs, the percentage is two percent.

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

"He has undoubtedly broken barriers by virtue of his appointment as a the Chelsea manager, and we want to witness more such appointments," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"We know that there exists loads of ability present in the ethnic minority communities... they want a chance to show what they can do. We need to continue to work hard to dismantle those obstacles once and for all."

Additionally, the new appointee is set to become one of only four full-time English managers presently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – a number that lags behind the continent's remaining major leagues regarding national managers.

16 of the 20 first division coaches in Italy are Italian, Eleven of the 20 are Spanish, Twelve in the Bundesliga in Germany and 10 of the 18 are French.

Current Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I have no doubt every aspiring British coaches from an academy background will be, to some degree regardless of allegiance, supporting Liam.

"It's really inspirational to young English coaches in the system to witness someone land such a role with that profile and we hope he does really well."

It is vital to remember – he's there due to ability'

His father, Leroy, Rosenior Sr., played for the likes of Fulham, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, with his managerial career culminating in a brief stint at then-League One side Brentford in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Honours List for services rendered in combating discrimination in football and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr retired from playing he followed his father's footsteps. He started writing articles for The Guardian, where in 2017 he addressed the lack of diversity among managers. He pointed out that ethnicity does not determine ability and said roles should be given based on qualification.

He further expressed a point he would repeat: that vast under-representation results in a failure to understand regarding footballers from different cultural and ethnic heritage.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, he explained how his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "difficult" and "emotional", but said he could relate to the Dutch international of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to follow him in moving from France to Chelsea in July.

In further newspaper articles, he also confessed he was "ashamed" to hear a staff member utter a discriminatory remark. He pledged support for the inclusion campaign and authored a public message to the former US President while he was in office, accusing him of "blatant" racism.

He has subsequently made his name in the dugout – first at Hull City, later at Strasbourg – with Wayne Rooney recently stating he was "among the best coaches I've ever worked with" following their time together with Derby.

The manager bid goodbye at Strasbourg on Tuesday morning before signing a long-term deal at Chelsea.

The Blues boasted the top flight's first African heritage boss with Gullit as well as the first black skipper named Paul Elliott.

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