Rio Ferdinand says that he intends to lead by positive action rather than words as he seeks to break down barriers in football management for black people. The former England defender, who retired in May, cannot fathom why the game in this country features so many black players and so few black managers.
He is taking his coaching badges with a view to a move into management in a couple of years and he says that there is an imbalance with regard to the numbers of black people in the profession. Ferdinand thinks the situation will change with a bit of pushing. “Sometimes, it is more than just shouting about it … it is about doing,” Ferdinand said. “If a black guy goes in and gives himself the best opportunity to do well, it breaks down a lot of barriers. People have got to put themselves forward. Get the qualifications and put yourself forward. If you see that a lot of black players have put themselves forward and are being turned away without getting a look-in, then you could look a bit deeper.
“I was on the FA commission [in 2013] and I was talking to the guys at the FA and they look like they are in a position now where they want to make a change but the proof will be in the pudding. Until you start seeing people on those benches, it is a lot of talking and a lot of fresh air.”
Ferdinand said that the lack of black coaches and managers would not hold him back in terms of what he wanted to do himself. “But I do look at it at the moment and it is a bit lop-sided,” he said. “The amount of black players that have come through, played in this country, this league and for England, is not reflected in the coaching system at all.
“You just think there is a imbalance there. It is an issue, you can’t lie and say it isn’t an issue when you look at the touchline and there is a scarcity of people of colour. But in generations, things change.”
Ferdinand spent the bulk of his playing career at Manchester United – he won six Premier League titles and one Champions League in 12 seasons at Old Trafford – and he suggested that the club would benefit from keeping stalwarts like him around. “It is vitally important that they keep that lifeblood of Manchester United in people who understand the club,” the 36-year-old said. “You saw with Liverpool [when they did not] how it messed them up over the years. It is important to keep people who understand the club. For new players coming in, you look in the changing room and they need to see the history walking around that club.
“Sir Bobby Charlton is there all the time and all the foreign players that come in, after a couple weeks, they know who he is and what he has done. That needs to happen with the next generation of players now.”
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