Charlton Women assistant boss Riteesh Mishra says while there is "still a lot of work to do" he feels optimistic in terms of South Asian representation in English football, and has stressed the importance of role models and visibility.
Last month the Football Association published an update on its Asian inclusion strategy, which noted the 2011 census showed Asian communities accounting for 7.8 per cent of England's population.
The report said Asian participation within grassroots football for over 16s was at 10.7 per cent (male) and 13.5 per cent (female), while the number of Asian coaches, volunteers and referees was around two per cent.
The team go fully professional from July, and Mishra said: "Having somebody who has been through that (Hills) is for the club probably the right thing.
"Although it's a disappointment I'm no longer lead coach, I'm playing a very important role. I think the project at Charlton is really exciting."
Mishra and Hills are both on the FA's Coaching Excellence Initiative programme, created to develop and connect coaches working in the elite women's game.
Mishra said: "It's been fantastic. We're getting a lot of support. Karen and I have been able to build a connection even before we started to work together. It's been a real benefit."
