Town academy coaches Kieron Dyer and Titus Bramble say they are firmly against English football adopting an approach to manager recruitment similar to the NFL’s Rooney Rule.
The Rooney Rule requires NFL clubs to interview at least one black or ethnic minority (BME) candidate when recruiting a new head coach.
Earlier in the week a report by the Sports People’s Think Tank (SPTT), a new organisation formed by current and former Premier League players, revealed that just 19 of 552 senior coaching positions at the 92 Premier League and Football League clubs are held by BME coaches, while more than 25 per cent of professional players come from BME backgrounds.
The SPTT recommended the introduction of an initiative along the lines of the Rooney Rule to help address that disparity.
"I want to be interviewed because the chairman wants to interview me,” Dyer, 35, told the Daily Telegraph.
"I don’t want to be interviewed because it’s filling a quota. I don’t want to be on a shortlist because football clubs are told I have to be because I’m black.”
The former England international, who coaches the Blues’ U16s, continued: "I want to prove myself independently of quotas. I want to impress them with my CV and ideas about the game. I’m proud of my race. I’ve never seen my colour as a negative. I’m buzzing about being black.
"Maybe it’s a generation thing. I wasn’t persecuted like older generations. I don’t feel I’ve ever being held back because of the colour of my skin and I’ve never seen it as a negative.”
Bramble, 35, like Dyer a long-time academy sponsor who is now coaching Town’s U11s, added: "I think it’s disgraceful that someone might be shortlisted for the job just because of their skin colour.
"You could say it’s just as bad being given a job because of your skin colour as it is not being given a job.
"My skin colour certainly wasn’t a problem for Ipswich at any stage, either as a player or a coach. I think they have employed me because of what I’ve achieved in my career as a player.”