England women's captain Casey Stoney has become the first female member to be voted on to the Professional Footballers' Association's Management Committee.
At the PFA's Annual General Meeting yesterday in Manchester, Stoney was one of ten new Management Committee members appointed by club delegates, alongside: Benoit Assou-Ekotto (QPR), Adam Barrett (Gillingham), Peter Clarke (Huddersfield Town), George Friend (Middlesbrough), Grant Holt (Wigan Atheltic), Matt Jarvis (West Ham United), Kolo Toure (Liverpool), Jonathan Walters (Stoke City) and Ashley Williams (Swansea).
Speaking to the BBC Sport, Stoney said: "It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed and I'm really looking forward to the new role, I want to take women's football forward. This enables us to have a voice for the women's game and spread awareness of the great things the PFA do and can offer."
Earlier in the year the PFA helped the England Woman's national squad renegotiate their central contracts with the Football Association.
The union also opened up membership for the first time to include players from the FA Women's Super League and 2013 saw the inaugural PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year at the PFA Awards.
Stoney told BBC Sport: "[The PFA] were key in moving things forward for us. Even from the PFA annual general meeting on Wednesday, women's football was high on the agenda.
"Being on the management committee now, I will try and engage more female members.
"It's a massive step forward for the women's game."
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