A Historic Event when Rosenior Shatters Boundaries

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

"However, in my role as the Blues' pioneering African heritage footballer, I would be lying to claim this appointment does not affect me."

Those are the words of the former Chelsea winger, who earned his groundbreaking first appearance for the Blues' first team as a substitute in April 1982.

On Tuesday, the club hired Strasbourg boss Rosenior, 41, to be their next manager following the exit of Enzo Maresca.

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

Statistics show only twelve black managers – not including those holding temporary caretaker positions – in the Premier League since its inception thirty-four in the past.

"What really strikes me regarding Rosenior is he was raised and played locally, he knows the local fans," continued Canoville.

"Whenever kids see someone like Liam in charge of their club, a person who looks like them, who's from their ends, who comes from a household that fights for equality… that's profound and shows them that opportunities exist.

"So yes, this represents an enormous step for the club, for the capital, for all young person with big dreams.

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

What Do the Statistics Show?

The iconic Dutchman Ruud Gullit was appointed the Blues' head coach back in the nineties and became the top flight's inaugural black head coach.

A dozen years on, by 2008, Paul Ince became the pioneering black English boss in the Premier League after taking charge at Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo currently stands as the only other current Premier League gaffer from a minority ethnic background.

The scarcity of ethnic minority managers throughout English football is matched by an absence of representation in the boardroom.

As per a Black Footballers Partnership 2023's report, 43% of Premier League footballers are from black backgrounds.

However, analysis by the equality organization found just 3.2% of executive and leadership management teams across 17 of 20 Premier League clubs are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Regarding senior coaching level, based on figures from eleven clubs, the percentage stands at 2%.

For all coaching positions – including senior roles – from those same eleven clubs, the figure is just 5%.

"He has undoubtedly made history in terms of his appointment as the Chelsea manager, and we want to see more of that," stated Kick It Out CEO Samuel Okafor.

"We know there is loads of talent that exists within black and underrepresented communities... aspiring coaches desire a chance to show what they can do. We need to persist in striving to dismantle those obstacles down."

Furthermore, Rosenior is set to become one of only four full-time English managers currently in the Premier League – joining Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – which trails Europe's other big five leagues regarding homegrown representation.

Sixteen out of twenty top-flight coaches in Serie A are Italian, 11 in La Liga are Spanish, 12 in the Bundesliga in Germany and 10 of the 18 are French.

Current Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane commented: "I'm sure every young English managers from an academy background are, to some degree no matter who you support, supporting Liam.

"It's really motivating to young English academy coaches to see an individual land such a role with that profile and everyone hopes he will be really well."

'Let's not forget – his appointment is due to ability'

His father, Leroy, Rosenior Sr., had a career with clubs such as West London clubs, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, with his coaching stint culminating in a brief stint in charge of then-League One side Brentford FC in 2006.

Two years ago, he received a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 New Year Honours for his services in combating inequality in football and wider society.

After Liam hung up his boots he pursued his father's footsteps. He began writing articles for The Guardian, where in 2017 he acknowledged the lack of diversity of black coaches. He pointed out that race does not determine coaching skill and said roles must be awarded on merit.

He further expressed a point he has often stated: that vast under-representation leads to misunderstandings of players from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

During an interview for a football podcast, Rosenior highlighted the way his star striker, Emmanuel Emegha, was labelled "hard to manage" or "passionate", but said he understood the Netherlands international with Nigerian parentage. The striker is expected to join him in moving from France to West London this summer.

In subsequent newspaper articles, Rosenior also admitted he was "ashamed" upon hearing an unnamed coach make a homophobic slur. He pledged support for the inclusion initiative and wrote an open letter to the former US President while he was in office, accusing him of "overt" racism.

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

Rosenior said his farewells at Strasbourg earlier this week prior to putting pen to paper on a six‑and‑a‑half‑year contract with the Blues.

Chelsea boasted the top flight's first black 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|