Brentford FC non-executive director Deji Davies said he is ‘proud’ to be named on the Football Black List 2022 - but added that ‘there is still work to be done’.

The Football Black List, founded in 2008 by sports journalists Leon Mann and Rodney Hinds, highlights leaders working across all areas of the game from the Black community.

And Davies, who joined the board of Brentford in August 2021, before being appointed chair of the FA inclusion advisory board last October, insisted that there is ’a problem' when it comes to Black people getting opportunities in football.

“To be the only Black board member of a Premier League club is a real problem,” he told the PA news agency.

“It is certainly something that I’m proud of but, equally, it highlights the problem and that there is still work to be done.

“But what we are encouraged by is the work that is being done by various different clubs in the league and my own club, Brentford.

“We are certainly intending to improve the statistics but it’s clearly a problem and high up on the agenda to solve now.”

Other names to be included on the new Football Black List include Premier League players Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling, alongside current coaches Vincent Kompany and Patrick Vieira.

And Davies insists that the number of Black players and managers in the Premier League, EFL and beyond is a real positive, but he believes there is still room for improvement when it comes to chances for Black people off the pitch.

He added: “I’m in my early 40s now so, when I was a child and from what I saw to where the game is now, clearly things have improved.

“But, equally, they haven’t come far enough, there still needs to be more representation at senior levels.

“I shouldn’t be the only one, in particular when you see the representation on the pitch. So, I think there needs to be more opportunity.

“The more you come away from the pitch, the more you see the numbers decline and, actually, the pitch representation is a glowing example of what can happen when you have a very intentional strategy around trying to find the best people for the job.

“I think all of us, from an organisation level to a club level, need to take on board the problem and collectively try and solve it ourselves.”