The appointment of two coaches of African birth could signal the beginning of a cultural shift at the highest level of English football
The 2021/22 Premier League season, beyond the usual storylines around title challenges and relegation battles, will have an added layer of intrigue.
For the first time in history, the division will boast two African-born managers, with Patrick Vieira (born in Dakar, Senegal) and the wonderfully named Nuno Espirito Santo (born in Sao Tome and Principe) taking charge of London clubs Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.
Both appointments, sealed within the past week, have another common factor: in both cases, the decision followed an extensive search and a slew of preferred candidates who dropped out of the reckoning at advanced stages during negotiations.