91Èȱ¬

Professional female footballers in England will benefit from changes to their contracts which will include maternity and long-term sickness cover for the first time.

Previously, Women's Super League players did not have maternity leave written into standard player contracts.

That provision was left to the discretion of individual clubs.

But after Fifa introduced new regulations last year, the FA and PFA have agreed a new package.

"Over the last 16 months, the PFA has been working with the FA to address the significant disparities between the contractual rights and obligations of male and female players in English club football," the Professional Footballers Association director of women's football, Marie-Christine Bouchier, said.

"We are pleased to confirm that, following these negotiations, The FA Board has recently agreed to support three significant policy changes relating to maternity provision, injury and illness and termination of long term injury.

"The PFA's aim has been consistent throughout these talks - to ensure contractual parity for our female members compared to the men's game. There is much still to be achieved, but these policy changes represent important milestones in what are ongoing discussions."

Speaking about the issue in parliament on Tuesday, Sunderland Central MP Julie Elliott said it was a "great step forward".

The change has also been welcomed by global players' union Fifpro.

Fifa's regulations included a minimum of 14 weeks maternity pay, but Watford and Wales striker Helen Ward, who is a mother of two, said that would "disappear pretty quickly" given that pregnant mothers would stop playing from around three months.

Ward said last year that there were "many more steps to be taken on this journey".