An Emotional Event when Rosenior Shatters Boundaries

"He is an excellent coach who knows the game intimately, which is what matters most.

"However, in my role as the Blues' first African heritage player, it would be dishonest if I said this moment fails to move me."

Those are the words of the former Chelsea winger, the man who earned his groundbreaking debut for Chelsea's senior side as a substitute in the spring of 1982.

On Tuesday, the club appointed Strasbourg boss Rosenior, aged 41, as their new head coach following the departure of manager Enzo Maresca.

Strasbourg are part of a multi-club BlueCo which also owns the London club.

Statistics show just 12 of African or Caribbean heritage managers – not including those in temporary caretaker roles – in England's top flight since its inception 34 in the past.

"What really strikes me regarding Rosenior is he was raised and developed his game not far from here, he understands this area," continued Canoville.

"When youngsters observe a figure like Rosenior managing the team they support, a person who looks like them, who's from their ends, who comes from a family that fights for what's right… it is powerful and shows them the path is there.

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

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

What Do the Data Reveal?

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit was appointed the Blues' manager in 1996 thereby becoming the top flight's first black head coach.

Twelve years later, by 2008, Paul Ince became the first black English manager in the top flight when he took over Blackburn Rovers.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is the only other current Premier League boss of colour.

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

As per a Black Footballers Partnership 2023 report, 43% of top-flight players are from black heritage.

Yet, research from Kick It Out revealed just 3.2% of board and senior leadership management teams across most Premier League clubs are held by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Regarding senior coaching positions, according to figures from eleven clubs, the figure is 2%.

For all coaching roles – encompassing senior roles – from those same eleven clubs, the statistic is just five percent.

"He's certainly made history in terms of him being announced as a Chelsea manager, and as an organization, we want to see more of that," said the chief executive of Kick It Out Samuel Okafor.

"It is acknowledged that there exists a wealth of talent present in the black and underrepresented groups... they want a chance to show what they can do. It is imperative to persist in work hard to dismantle those barriers once and for all."

Additionally, the new appointee is set to become one of only four full-time British managers currently in the Premier League – alongside Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Scott Parker – a number that lags behind Europe's other major leagues regarding national managers.

Sixteen out of twenty top-flight coaches in Serie A are Italian, Eleven of the 20 are Spanish, 12 of the 18 are German while Ten of the 18 are French.

Current Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said: "I have no doubt all young English managers from an academy background are, in some way no matter who you support, rooting for Liam.

"It is truly motivating to young English academy coaches to see an individual land that job with his background and everyone hopes he will be really well."

It is vital to remember – his appointment is due to ability'

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

In 2019, he received a Member of the Order of the British Empire in that year's Honours List for services rendered to tackling inequality in football and wider society.

When Rosenior Jr hung up his boots he pursued a path in management. He started penning a column for The Guardian, where in 2017 he acknowledged the under-representation of black coaches. He highlighted that race does not determine coaching skill arguing that opportunities must be awarded based on qualification.

He also made a point he has often stated: how significant under-representation leads to a failure to understand of players from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

During an interview with The Athletic FC, Rosenior highlighted the way his leading forward, Emmanuel Emegha, had been described as "hard to manage" and "passionate", noting that he could relate to the Netherlands international of Nigerian descent. The striker is expected to join him in moving from France to Chelsea in July.

In further Guardian columns, he also confessed he was "ashamed" upon hearing a staff member utter a discriminatory remark. He vowed support for the Premier League's inclusion campaign and authored a public message to the former US President during his first US presidency, accusing him of "overt" prejudice.

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

The manager bid goodbye to his former club earlier this week before signing a long-term contract at Chelsea.

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

Elliott has since held multiple senior positions, including the Football Association's equality board|