Les Ferdinand says director of football role criticism was because of colour
- Published
Les Ferdinand played for Queens Park Rangers between 1987 and 1995
Former Queens Park Rangers and England striker Les Ferdinand says the criticism he faced as QPR's director of football was because of his colour.
He also said some people in men's football keep getting opportunities he and his peers in the black community have not received.
Ferdinand spoke about his experience on the latest episode of Kammy and Ben's Proper Football Podcast.
"Some of the criticism that came was because of my colour," he said.
"I always say to people, 'If I was a bad director of football, it wasn't because of my colour. It was just, I was a bad director of football. If I was a good one, it wasn't going to be because of my colour. It was because of my abilities.'"
When asked if he felt he had to be successful in the role, the 56-year-old added: "Why are you labelling me just because I'm the only director of football of colour in the league that I have to be successful?"
Earlier this year a report by the Black Footballers Partnership found that only 4.4% of black employees held management-related positions.
Ferdinand stepped down as QPR director of football after eight years in June, saying he stayed in the role a bit longer as he felt like he "was a trailblazer".
"I loved being involved with it, but it just got a little bit too toxic towards the end," he said on the podcast.
He said he has seen "umpteen directors of football that have gone from job to job to job to job", when black peers have not had the same opportunities.
"Have they gone from job to job to job because they've always been successful? No. They might not have been as successful at one club, gone to another club, been successful, been to another club and not been successful, but they continue to get jobs.
"That's not quite correct. I don't think so, anyway. And it's the same as management. You know, Paul Ince (ex-MK Dons, Blackburn and Reading boss) has to be successful. Darren Moore, who was successful, still loses his job. But their counterparts can afford not to be that good, but still get opportunities to work again."
Ferdinand added "lack of opportunity" was behind the low number of black managers or directors of football in England.
He spoke of his involvement with an organisation for black players and said: "We've got over 200 former players and current players involved in it. And all of them want opportunities and no-one's getting the opportunities."
Ferdinand, who also played for Newcastle and Tottenham, made 400 top-flight appearances in England, scoring 169 goals, and won the League Cup with Spurs in 1999. He made 17 appearances for England, scoring five goals.
He said if he could change anything about his role "it would be having the plan and sticking to the plan rather than changing the plan".
Previously, Ferdinand has criticised the Football Association's football leadership diversity code for making "no difference whatsoever" in helping players get jobs.