An Significant Moment when Rosenior Breaks Barriers

"Rosenior represents a top manager that knows football inside out, which is the most important thing.

"But, in my role as Chelsea's first black footballer, it would be dishonest if I said this moment does not affect me."

Those are the sentiments expressed by the former Chelsea winger, who earned his groundbreaking first appearance for Chelsea's senior side as a substitute back in the spring of 1982.

On Tuesday, the club named RC Strasbourg boss Rosenior, aged 41, to be their next manager following the departure of manager Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are part of the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-owned ownership group that also owns the London club.

There have been a mere twelve black managers – not including those in interim positions – in England's top flight since it began thirty-four years ago.

"What really strikes me regarding Rosenior is he grew up and developed his game locally, he understands the local fans," added Canoville.

"When youngsters see someone like Liam managing the team they support, a person they can identify with, who's from their ends, from a household that fights for equality… that's impactful demonstrating the path is there.

"Indeed, it is a huge step for Chelsea, for the capital, for all aspiring individual dreaming big.

"However, currently? Let's back Liam, provide him with what he needs, and let the man get on with the job."

What Exactly Does the Numbers Show?

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

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

The Hammers' boss Nuno Espirito Santo is the only other current Premier League boss of colour.

The lack of managers of colour throughout English football is matched by a lack of diversity in the boardroom.

According to the BFP 2023 report, forty-three percent of top-flight players are from black heritage.

Yet, analysis by Kick It Out revealed only 3.2 percent of executive and leadership management teams at most Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Regarding senior coaching level, based on data provided by eleven clubs, the percentage stands at 2%.

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

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

"We know there is a wealth of talent that exists in the ethnic minority groups... they want the opportunity to show their capabilities. It is imperative to persist in striving to break those barriers once and for all."

Furthermore, Rosenior is set to become the fourth permanent British managers presently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe as well as Scott Parker – which trails the continent's remaining big five leagues in terms of national managers.

Sixteen out of twenty 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.

The present Blues caretaker manager Calum McFarlane said: "I have no doubt every aspiring British coaches from an academy background will be, in some way regardless of allegiance, rooting for Liam.

"It is really motivating to young English coaches in the system to witness someone get that job with his background and everyone hopes he does really well."

It is vital to remember – he's there on merit'

His father, Leroy, Liam's father, had a career with clubs such as West London clubs, West Ham as well as Queens Park Rangers, with his coaching stint culminating in a five-month spell at then-League One side Brentford FC back in 2006.

In 2019, he was awarded an MBE in that year's Honours List for his services in combating inequality within the sport and beyond.

After Liam hung up his boots he followed a path in management. He started writing articles for a national newspaper, where in 2017 he addressed the under-representation of black coaches. He highlighted that ethnicity does not determine ability and said opportunities must be awarded on merit.

He further expressed the view he has often stated: that vast under-representation leads to a failure to understand regarding footballers from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

In a podcast with The Athletic FC, he explained how his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" and "emotional", but said he understood the Dutch international with Nigerian parentage. The striker is expected to join him in moving from Strasbourg to Chelsea this summer.

In further newspaper articles, Rosenior also admitted to being "ashamed" to hear an unnamed staff member utter a discriminatory remark. He pledged his support for the Rainbow Laces campaign and wrote a public message to Donald Trump during his first US presidency, accusing him of "overt" racism.

Rosenior has since built his reputation in the dugout – initially with Hull City, later at Strasbourg – and Wayne Rooney recently stating Rosenior was "as good a coach as I've ever worked with" following their collaboration with Derby.

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

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

Elliott later held multiple executive roles, among them the FA's diversity and inclusion board|