He was the first black England football team captain and now he is the first Black English Premiership manager. Ince proved himself to be one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe, having played for 3 of the biggest clubs in the world; Manchester United, Inter Milan and Liverpool FC. He then sampled success as a Manager in the lower leagues and now he is at a strong well run club; in the shape of Blackburn Rovers.

Ince should be regarded as a breath of fresh air, he's young, played for some big clubs under some of the best managers in the world, plus he has worked and gained experience in the lower leagues and worked his way up. He has a CV to match any young English manager in the premiership, so why is the focus mainly on him being Black?

Blackburn Rovers

The Blackburn Rovers have taken a huge gamble on this English manager who brings no guarantees of success. In terms of being a successful premiership manager, Paul Ince will be under extreme pressure to deliver results from day one. Unlike any other manager in the premiership, Ince has the added pressure of being the first Black English premiership manager, so the heat is on. A good thing to note is that Ince has been regarded as a role model to other Black English players in regards to them following in his management footsteps after their playing days are over.

All of the pressure makes Ince's success at Blackburn even more important. If Ince fails at Blackburn would football have to wait such a long time before another Black English Manager takes the step into the Premiership? Or would Black players think twice about going into management because of the added pressure of being Black and English?

Natural Born Leader

Ince has proven his leadership qualities at all the clubs he has turned out for. He is now in charge of leading Blackburn to success as he carries the weight of the hopes of all Blackburn fans. Leadership is something Ince will be dealing with from all angles as he starts his Blackburn managerial role, with the media making a huge deal about him being Black and English. It seems like he is carrying the weight of the future Black football managers too and it is clear that now more than ever Ince needs to be on top of his game.

Written by Charlie