Football doesn't see star black players as top managers-to-be says Les Ferdinand

Les Ferdinand has called football out over its refusal to embrace the managerial qualities of black ex-pros.

Former England striker Ferdinand, now technical director at Championship side Queens Park Rangers, pointed to iconic contemporaries such as Ian Wright, Des Walker and former Three Lions captains Paul Ince and Sol Campbell.

Of that quartet, only Campbell is currently in management — fighting to keep Macclesfield away from the League Two relegation zone. Ince hasn't been a boss since leaving Blackpool over five years ago, while Wright and Walker have never been managers.

By contrast, former Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard got Scottish giants Rangers as a first managerial gig and Frank Lampard is pushing for the Premier League with Derby in his first crack at life on the touchline.

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Campbell literally had to start at the bottom — Macclesfield were last in League Two when he joined (Getty Images)

In earlier years, Mark Hughes and Bryan Robson both got top-flight jobs soon after hanging up their boots.

Ferdinand tells new BT Sport documentary State of Play : “You see Steven Gerrard come to the end of his career, okay? He goes into Liverpool and does a good job [with age-group teams] and gets a job at Glasgow Rangers.

“You’ll see Frank Lampard come to the end of his career and all the media will talk about what a great manager he’s going to make.

“You’ll see Bryan Robson, you’ll see Mark Hughes, you’ll see Steve Bruce come to the end of their contracts and everybody talks about what great managers they’ll become.

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Gerrard is beginning managerial life in front of huge crowds in massive fixtures such as the Old Firm game (Action Images via Reuters)

“You’ll see Sol Campbell come to the end of his career, you’ll see Ian Wright, you’ll see Paul Ince come to the end of their careers. Des Walker. All had equally glowing careers — as good as the guys that I mentioned earlier. Yet no one ever talks about what great managers they’ll make.

“Until we see those players as equals, that’s the only time you’ll have change.”

* State of Play, the next film in the award-winning BT Sport Films series, will premiere at 10.30pm on Wednesday May 29th on BT Sport 2.