HE is a football man making waves in the professional game, but ex-Southend United player Chris Powell is in the minority.

Powell played 248 times for the Shrimpers from 1990 to 96 and was capped by his country.

However, the spotlight has fallen on him in the last few days because of his skin colour and not his skills. As manager of League One’s Charlton Athletic he is one of just two black managers out of 92 football league clubs, the other being Birmingham City’s Chris Hughton.

This is a fact the Professional Footballer’s Association wants to change by making each club interview at least one managerial candidate from a ethnic minority every time a vacancy arises.

He believes the PFA has the right intentions, but wants the best candidates to come through no matter what colour they are.

Speaking to the Echo, he said: “It is always going to be a hot topic. As things stand, it will not have a quick-fix solution.

“It will take time for more black managers to come in, but hopefully it is something which will develop in the future.

“If new rules are introduced in the league, then there will have to be a lot of discussions among those in power about how they will be implemented.

“Regardless of whether someone is white, black or any colour, they have to be the best person for the job.”

Powell hopes if he can continue his good progress at Charlton, it will lead to him inspiring other black footballers to become managers when they retire.

He said: “I have to do my job well to inspire players who move into this side of the sport.

“At the end of the day, I am a football club manager who just happens to be black.

“It adds a bit of pressure as there are more eyes watching me work.”

During his own playing days, Powell said there were more black managers ten-years-ago, with the likes of Keith Alexander, Leroy Rosenior, Ruud Gullit and Jean Tigana.

Chris added: “There have been some guys like John Barnes and Luther Blissett who tried being managers, but it did not really work out for them.”

His own venture into management came after he was mentored by ex-Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson as he was finishing his playing days at the club.

However, he does admit there is still a stigma around black managers especially when considering the number of black coaches who don’t go on to manage.

He said: “Chris Hughton has been a coach for a long time.

“There are a lot of other guys who are black and have been coaches before, including Richard Shaw and my number two at Charlton, Chris Dyer.

“But there are a lot of guys who get lost in the game because they just see they have not been given a chance in management.”

This is a side of the game Powell hopes will change in the future and he is willing to be part of the solution.

He said: “To become a manager today is a lot different from when I started playing professionaly, as there are different coaching badges you have to get for certain levels of the game.

“But I am still learning and it is just like any job.

“If you want to do it you have to go out there, work hard and give it a try.”