Albion boss Chris Hughton has been flagged up by FA chairman Greg Clarke as a candidate to become England’s first ever black manager.

Clarke believes appointing a black or ethnic minority boss “would put us forward 20 years”.

Hughton, 58, is accumulating a growing list of admirers for steering the Seagulls to the top of the Championship and his calm style of leadership.

Clarke, appointed FA chairman in August, said: “I can see a black England manager.”

The former Football League chairman, asked about Hughton, said: “Why not? It would be wonderful to see a black England manager. It would put us forward 20 years. “We are trying to achieve more opportunities. When I talked to Football League owners about this, I said ‘How do you appoint managers?’. They said: ‘I talk to my mates, ex-players, ex-managers.’ “’Who are they?’ ‘White’. Their friends are white.

“‘Does that mean it would be difficult to get on your radar if you’re black?’ ‘I hadn’t thought about that.’ “It wasn’t conscious racism. But there was a realisation that, ‘S***, we have a system that is systematically biased against black people unintentionally’.”

Hughton called in The Argus last month for a form of the ‘Rooney Rule’ to be introduced in English football to boost the number of black and ethnic minority managers and coaches.

The Rooney Rule in American Football requires NFL teams to interview at least one BAME candidate for senior coaching roles.

Hughton is the only BAME manager in the top three divisions of English football and there are only two in League Two, Carlisle’s Keith Curle and Grimsby’s Marcus Bignot.

Meanwhile, Liam Rosenior, inducted into Show Racism the Red Card’s hall of fame last month, makes his comeback from nearly four months out with an ankle break and ligament damage as an over-age player in the under-21s’ last 16 Checkatrade Trophy tie at Coventry tonight.

The versatile 32-year-old, never on the losing side in 31 Championship starts for Albion, has been sidelined since suffering the injury in a challenge by Reading striker Yann Kermorgant in August.

Rosenior will be accompanied in the starting line-up at the Ricoh Arena by Rohan Ince, who is available for another loan move this month.