The Premier League’s two top posts will both be held by women when Richard Scudamore steps down at the end of the year.

It was announced earlier this week that TV executive Susanna Dinnage will become the league’s chief executive early in 2019, while Claudia Arney will take over as interim chair.

Scudamore has held the position of executive chair since 2014 having previously been chief executive, and the role is again being split.

Arney was appointed to the board as a non-executive director when Scudamore became executive chairman and was part of the committee that selected Dinnage.

Arney has held a wide range of positions across business, including as director of the Enterprise and Growth Unit at HM Treasury, while she is also a non-executive director of Derwent London, Halfords Group, Kingfisher and Aviva.

The search for a permanent non-executive chair has begun, with no indication as yet when an appointment will be made.

The appointment of Dinnage, a leading executive at broadcasting giant Discovery, has been overshadowed by the row over Scudamore’s £5 million farewell payment.

News of the golden handshake which will be paid over three years, was met with outrage in some areas of football, particularly among fans’ groups, but the Premier League confirmed on Thursday it will go ahead.