Former Walsall defender Ben Purkiss has been elected chairman of the Professional Footballers’ Association, taking over from Sheffield FC player Ritchie Humphreys as the head of the football players’ union.
Ben, who now plays for League Two outfit Swindon Town, spoke to the media and welcomed his new role, the 33-year-old said; "I’m really looking forward to doing my best for players up and down the country. I’ve been part of the management committee for five years and supported Ritchie, so I’m not coming in blind. I understand the scale of the role and I’m not daunted by it."
The PFA’s new management committee is made up of nineteen current professional players across the men’s and women’s game including England women’s captain Steph Houghton, Burnley’s Tom Heaton and Aston Villa’s Mile Jedinak.
The PFA states its aims are to "protect, improve and negotiate the conditions, rights and status of all professional players by collective bargaining agreements."