Female footballers in England to get maternity cover after landmark ruling

The Football Association and Professional Footballers’ Association have agreed a change to contracts that will see players in the English women’s game guaranteed maternity and long-term sickness cover.

As a result of the the recently-reached agreement, players at the 24 clubs across the Women’s Super League and Championship will all receive cover they were not previously entitled to.

Maternity pay has previously been at the discretion of clubs in England and abroad. Wolfsburg and Germany goalkeeper Almuth Shult became the only active Bundesliga player to also be a mother when she gave birth to twins in 2020.

‘There are few top female athletes that have children,’ she told DW last year. ‘It’s difficult. After taking a year off from your career you need to fight to get back into it. It’s hard work and there’s still a long way to go but I love my job so there was never a question about returning.’

The issue of maternity support for female athletes has been highlighted through USA international footballer Alex Morgan and tennis legend Serena Williams in recent years, both of whom put their sporting careers on hold after giving birth.

‘We’ve seen how long it has taken Alex Morgan, one of the best players in the world that probably has the best people around her and the best access to staff [to come back from having a baby],’ said former Watford striker Helen Ward at the time.

‘For everyone else you’ve got to think it’s going to take similar if not more. It’s a tough subject and one that needs a lot of work.’

During a Parliamentary debate on women’s football on Wednesday, meanwhile, Julie Elliott, the MP for Sunderland Central, said the change being implemented would be ‘a massive step forward’.

Elliott said: ‘The issue of maternity