Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott believes black or minority ethnic coaches are not being given enough second chances in English football after initial failures - which, in turn, deters players from going into management.

There are currently only three black managers in English football's top five leagues, with only two clubs starting the campaign with a BAME head coach.

It shows there has been a downward trend of diversity in management within clubs from the 92. In the 2021-22 campaign, eight clubs started the season with black managers with the number decreasing year upon year.

One of the alarming statistics to have come to light, discovered by The Black Footballers Partnership in 2023, revealed only four per cent of managers in the English Football League players were black, despite 34 per cent of the players being black.

Lescott, who won the Premier League with City in 2012, initially decided to move into coaching after retiring from the professional game in 2017. The ex-defender has held numerous roles within the FA and was in Lee Carsley's backroom staff during his stint as England's interim manager following the exit of Gareth Southgate.

However, the former England international is not fully convinced he wants to continue down the path of coaching within the professional game. And Lescott, 42, believes black players are dissuaded from a career in coaching due to the lack of opportunity.

'There is a number of things,' Lescott tells Mail Sport. 'The lack of patience within the game, that doesn't just go for owners and sporting directors, but coaches and players as well. I think everybody wants it now.

'The biggest thing for me is that I don't think enough diverse coaches are given the opportunity to fail again, and again. There is a history of coaches who are given those opportunities to fail and get a similar job the next time and fail again.

'Speaking of friends I know, one being Paul Ince, and another being Sol Campbell, they haven't been given the opportunities to not succeed and then [get to] try again. It's kind of fail, and that's it. That's the end of the road.

'If everybody is doing well and everyone's successful, it's easy to implement diversity and give everyone equal opportunity. But it's a case of when it hasn't gone to plan, is someone willing to give that individual the same opportunity to fail again?

'It does [put players off], 100 per cent. That's the reason why a lot of ex-players haven't chosen to go down that route. They know they are not going to be given the same opportunities. They're aware of that.'

Back in November, Mail Sport exclusively revealed that the FA aims to ensure 25 percent of England men's coaching staff are black, Asian, mixed, or other ethnic background by the year 2028.

According to the report the figure currently stands at 19 per cent and England's governing body has a 'stretch target' of 30 percent.

Lescott, who is part of the FA's elite coaching placement programme - a scheme started in 2018 to boost diversity among coaching staff - has acknowledged that while there is a lot of work to be done, his current work will help generations beyond his time.

'I don't think I am going to see it being close to what it should be in my generation, maybe my kids' [too],' continues Lescott. 'But I'm aware that my small contribution in trying to have an impact is important for the next stage, as it was for the generations before me.

'They sacrificed their post-playing careers just to have an impact for me to be able to speak about it, never mind to be given a job. I'm aware my generation might not benefit, but there is one that is. If we have played a part in that, great.'

The 42-year-old is also a McDonald's Fun Football ambassador. Last week, Lescott took part in the organisation's annual Coaching Development Day in order to work with coaches to provide accessible sessions for children from various backgrounds.

'Days like this are so important to the whole coaching community,' adds Lescott, who was speaking from St. George's Park. 'You should always be learning and there is no one else like McDonald's offering this type of coaching education.

'As coaches we should be pushing for more accessibility for football and help to break down barriers. There were over 80 coaches here today and they will now be better placed to welcome any child onto the football pitch no matter their background or ability.'

Joleon Lescott was supporting McDonald's Fun Football's coaching qualification partnership with Kick it Out, UK Deaf Sport and Access Sport to make Fun Football the most inclusive grassroots programme in the UK. Register for your local session here - http://mcdonalds.co.uk/football