The Irish FA has appointed former PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Stephen Martin as the association's new chairman.
Mr Martin's appointment was confirmed following a unanimous vote on Thursday night.
The 51-year-old - who joined the PSNI as a cadet at the age of 16 - has been an independent non-executive director of the association since June.
He said he was excited to " lead this ambitious and forward looking board".
He added: “I’ll be championing football at all levels for the advancement of the game right across Northern Ireland.
“As with all good teams, I look forward to playing my part in the Irish FA’s continued success.”
Mr Martin succeeds Gerry Mallon who had held the position since 2015.
Martin is a Chartered Director and Fellow of the Institute of Directors.
He recently retired as Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland following a successful police career spanning 34 years.
Mr Martin was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in the Birthday Honours List in 2013 and he received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2018.
The new chairman, who is a passionate Liverpool supporter, is a lifelong Northern Ireland fan who cheered on the team as a boy from the South Stand at Windsor Park alongside his late father, uncle and cousin.
He remembers attending many British Home Championship matches and the home qualifiers in the Spain ’82 and Mexico ’86 World Cup campaigns.
Mr Martin said: “That was a fabulous period for Northern Ireland and I’ll never forget it.
"However, we are in a great place again now and building on our success at Euro 2016. We all wish our new manager Ian and the team good luck for the qualifiers this autumn.”
Irish FA President David Martin added: “We are delighted to have Stephen join the association. His skills and experience will be a real asset to our board.”
