Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford have been named to a list of the most influential black people in British football.
The annual football blacklist recognizes the efforts of black personalities working in various areas of the game.
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira and Burnley boss Vincent Kompany are included in the coaching category.
Expert and ex-England player Lianne Sanderson is also on this year’s list.
The Football Blacklist, first published in 2008, highlights black professionals in the industry who are positive influencers.
The names in the eight categories are decided by an expert panel made up of representatives from the Premier League, the Professional Footballers’ Association, the League Managers’ Association, the EFL and anti-racism group Kick It Out.
Deji Davies, Les Ferdinand and Jobi McAnuff are also on the 2022 list. Davies is a non-executive director at Brentford and the only black member of a Premier League club’s board, Ferdinand is the only black director of football in the game, while McAnuff is a board member of the Football Association.
Leon Mann, co-founder of the Football Black List, said: “I am particularly proud to see that the list now includes board members and managers at the top of the game, but it is clear that we still have a long way to go to see better representation in soccer.
“However, we recognize those who lead the way. We are proud of these people and the impact they are having.”
There is also a “one to watch” Ugo Ehiogu category, which identifies young talent in the industry under the age of 30.
The full list:
Players:
- Andre Gray, Aris and Jamaica
- Bukayo Saka, Arsenal and England
- Charlotte Lynch, Leyton Orient Women
- Marcus Rashford, Manchester United and England
- Raheem Sterling, Chelsea and England
Administration:
- Deji Davies, Brentford
- Jobi McAnuff, the FA
- Les Ferdinands, QPR
- Maheta Molango, PFA
- Sarah Gregoire, Fifpro
Supervision and management:
- Aubrey Rogers, Liverpool
- Danetta Powell, City of Birmingham
- Patrick Vieira, Crystal Palace
- Paul Nevin, West Ham United and England
- Vincent Kompany, Burnley
Commercial:
- Akinola Fashola, West Ham United
- Akua Agyemfra, Merky and The Balley Consultancy
- Freda Ayisi, Content Creator
- Liseli Sitali, Sky Sports
- Sofia Thomas, Juno Sports Tax
Community and base:
- Andrew Lovelace, Watford Ladies
- Habib Olorukoba-Oseni, Cray Wanderers and Welling United Deaf
- Kerry Phillips, Saving Souls
- Simon Hyacinthe, FURD
- Trisha LewisRomance
LGBTQ+:
- Dr. Michael Seeraj, Charlton Athletic Community Trust
- Lianne Sanderson, talkSPORT
Media:
- Carl Anka, athletics
- Fatou Jeng, BT Sport
- Jemma Archer, Whisper Productions
- Pippa Monique, the soccer mum podcast
- Nelson Kumah, BBC Sport
Practitioners:
- Ciaran Baxendale, football beyond borders
- Iffy Onoura, Premier League
- Lauren Impey, PGMOL
- Michael Hamilton, AFC Wimbledon
- Dr Paul Campbell, University of Leicester
Those of Ugo Ehiogu to watch:
- Cordell Lake-Benjamin, Palace for Life Foundation
- Debra Nelson, Football Beyond Borders
- J’nae Ward, Refresh Sport Consultancy and Productions
- Siham Abdullahi, Buzz 16
- Tyra Mills, Kinetic Foundation
