By Steve Sutcliffe: Staffordshire University student and Burnley footballer Clarke Carlisle is the new chairman of the Professional Footballers’ Association.

The announcement was made at the PFA’s annual general meeting in Manchester.

Carlisle (pictured) replaces the outgoing Chris Powell who served as chairman for five years until his retirement as a player over the summer.

Carlisle, a student on the Professional Sportswriting and Broadcasting (PSWB) degree at the Stoke-on-Trent campus, is well-suited to the role after sitting on the PFA’s management committee for the last five years.

The committee is a select group of ten senior professional players who advise chief executive Gordon Taylor  in relation to the services the union offers its members.

“It is a fantastic honour and privilege to be named as the new PFA chairman,” said Carlisle.

“The PFA is at the forefront of a lot of what is good about the game.

“It works across areas such as education, commercial community engagement and player welfare and I’ve benefited first-hand from the work of the PFA so it is a tremendous honour for me to be asked to take on the responsibility of being the chairman.

“Chris has been exemplary as a chairman and ambassador for the game so I take over the role knowing I have got big shoes to fill.”