Paul Elliott is set to become the first former top-flight player to join the FA board next month in another significant change to its governance procedures.

His appointment will be proposed at the next meeting of the FA council on January 17 and if ratified, Chelsea’s first black captain will bring the perspective of an elite player to the corridors of power at Wembley for the first time.

Elliott will be an additional appointment to the FA board, which earlier this year was trimmed from 12 to ten as part of a series of reforms passed to ensure compliance with Sport England’s code for sports governance, ensuring that the governing body would continue to receive government funding.

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