London (AFP) – Darren Moore claims his appointment as West Bromwich Albion manager will be an inspiration to ethnic minority coaches, as well as aspiring British bosses.
Moore was only the second manager in the Premier League, alongside Chris Hughton at Brighton, to represent a Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) group before Albion’s relegation at the end of the season.
There are currently just three BAME bosses in the top four divisions, with that number due to drop when Keith Curle leaves Carlisle shortly.
Moore has been given the Baggies job on a permanent basis after making a strong impact as interim manager following Alan Pardew’s dismissal in April.
He steered West Brom to victories against Manchester United and Tottenham, as well as a draw against Liverpool.
Those impressive results staved off relegation until the last week of the season and gave renewed hope to the club’s fans ahead of next season’s bid to win promotion from the Championship.
Asked if it was important to make his mark for the ethnic minorities struggling to get into top jobs, Moore insisted he preferred to be seen as an inspiration for all.
“Am I a role model? I’ll probably leave it out there for you to look at,” Moore said on Monday.
“By me sitting here in the position and the role I’ve got, it’s an inspiration to all young British coaches. I’m in this role representing BAME coaches and young British coaches.
“Hopefully, my role inspires them right the way through to grass roots football right through to the professional game. If it does that for individuals then I’m extremely proud.”
