Michael Johnson thinks his appointment to the coaching staff of The English FA is a step in the right direction in furthering the cause of exposing coaches of ethnicity in the British game.

The former Reggae Boyz defender says he hopes his new role with the England Under-21 men’s team will serve as inspiration for other coaches of colour that the sky remains the limit, as they seek to carve their niche in a football jurisdiction that has not displayed a wide embrace for minorities, or so it seems.

“I think it is vitally important for the next generation to see the likes of myself, Darren Moore [former Reggae Boy], the likes of Chris Powell, Chris Hughton and others, to see black managers, managers of ethnicity gaining positions as head coaches — because the youngsters need to see someone who is visible to be able to say that, ‘Hey, if this guy here has done it, then I too can achieve it, ‘and’ if that guy has done it, then I am motivated to go on that journey to get my coaching badges and the experience.’

“If there is no ethnicity at the top of the game then that would discourage those below into a coaching career and to go the length [of] getting the qualification, getting the experience, getting the finances, spending the time to get qualified when, at the end of it, there is nothing there for you,” said Johnson.

The former Notts County player and caretaker manager says his appointment, and that of other minorities, should also be a catalyst for opening doors for other key positions in the governance of the sport.

“It’s important that we see [blacks and other ethnicities] at the leadership of the game, not just the Premier League, but right across football in the FA, the major governing bodies of the sport in Europe, the rest of the world…we need to see the diverse leadership of football which are from different backgrounds,” noted the former centre back.

Johnson, who had a fruitful spell playing some 262 matches for Birmingham City between 1995 and 2003, said his progression in the business of coaching was due to key pillars of the learning process.

He pointed, crucially, to the significance of his tenure as Notts County’s caretaker manager in 2009, and his short, but game-changing stint as Guyana head coach 2018-2019.

“Without those experiences I wouldn’t be in the position that I am in today…when you talk about Guyana and my being manager at Notts County, for me that shows leadership skills and that shows my ability to lead an organisation. And I think that is of real benefit that you can stand there and talk about how you have led an organisation, how you have implemented a philosophy and a style of play, and how you have improved players — and for me, that’s the most important aspect.

“So when we talk about the opportunity to coach with England, there is no doubt in my mind that those experiences, aided by the qualification, it shows that you have the criteria and understanding to do the job at hand,” Johnson told the Jamaica Observer.

The 46-year-old says working with England’s Under-21s puts him at “the cutting edge” of English football.

“You are learning from one of the best countries playing football…you learn about style of play, preparation, build-up in the camp, developing and improving players, formations, tactics; and this is the reason why when the opportunity came I had to take it because it was one that would further me in my coaching knowledge,” noted Johnson.

“I definitely want to be a sporting director or a technical director at some stage, to have this information to my tool box. I just couldn’t turn it down as this was an opportunity to learn and develop myself into a good coach who understands styles of play,” he added.

Johnson, who also had a stint at Sheffield Wednesday during an English playing career that saw him capped 561 times, said a bonus joining the England coaching ranks is being in striking range to learn from Senior Team Manager Gareth Southgate.

“It was also a great opportunity to learn from Gareth Southgate who is one of the most eloquent and decorated football managers of the modern generation, and for me to be able to be underneath his wings and the chance to learn so much is a chance I couldn’t turn down,” he stated.

Johnson said while the position with the England Under-21s requires significant input, the job is not a full-time one. He remains a full-time ambassador for his old club Derby County.

“I am not in on a full-time basis as I still work at Derby County, but I go into the England job about twice a month, and I join up with the team on every international break.

“On international breaks, as part of the coaching team, we work on developing the style of play, looking at the opposition. Predominantly I would work on defensive duties, getting the players to understand the England philosophy, and doing recruitment — looking at talent up and down the country,” he explained.

Johnson was a beneficiary of England’s Elite Coach Placement Programme, which is executed jointly by The Football Association (The FA) and the Professional Footballers Association (PFA). The programme is part of their commitment to increase the diversity of coaches and to develop greater equality of opportunities to ensure that more black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) and female coaches are gaining essential experience to challenge for elite coaching and technical roles in football in the future.

“Yes, I was a beneficiary of the Elite Coach Placement Programme. I was given a year to 18 months, obviously on the back of my achievements in my career as a coach and manager, and obviously through the interview process that I had to go through as well.

“My appointment takes me to the Toulon Tournament in France in the summer of 2020, so I am looking forward to the technical and tactical battles against the likes of Portugal, Germany, Spain, and Holland,” Johnson ended.