Troy Deeney, Tyrone Mings and Nigel Pearson sign up for FA’s fight against discrimination

Sportsmail can today reveal the key individuals leading the Football Association’s fight against discrimination in English football.

The FA have signed up a high-profile cast – including Troy Deeney, Nigel Pearson and Tyrone Mings – to mastermind their Football Leadership Diversity Code – launched by Paul Elliott, chair of the governing body’s inclusion advisory board, last month which clubs can sign up to with a view to increasing diversity and equality in football boardrooms and leadership positions, particularly coaching roles.

And today we can disclose details of the steering group and expert panels tasked with devising the code.

Troy Deeney is heading up the expert players’ panel in the FA’s fight against discrimination

Tyrone Mings have also been signed up to help create Football Leadership Diversity Code

A number of English football’s highest profile players and coaches, among them Watford striker Deeney and Aston Villa and England defender Mings – both who have been vocal on the subject of racial equality in light of the Black Lives Matter movement – are on board. Hornets boss Pearson is also part of the steering group.

Sportsmail can also reveal Tottenham executive director Donna Cullen has agreed to join the steering group – as have Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck and Crystal Palace supremo Steve Parish.

England senior team coach Chris Powell, England Under-21 coach Michael Johnson, former Newcastle and Brighton boss Chris Hughton and former player Rachel Yankey are also involved.

The steering group will be tasked with developing the voluntary Football Leadership Diversity Code with the aim of delivering it by October 11, to coincide with England’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Belgium at Wembley, which also marks Black History Month. The first steering group took place on Friday afternoon.

Deeney’s manager at Watford Nigel Pearson is also on the star-studded list of names helping

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish will be on clubs’ panel, chaired by Chelsea’s Bruce Buck

The FA is also developing four independent expert panels, which will be consulted regularly throughout the development of the code.

Deeney will chair the players’ expert panel; the coaching panel will be co-chaired by Hope Powell, manager at Brighton & Hove Albion WFC, and Liam Rosenior, first-team coach at Derby County.

The clubs’ panel will be chaired by Buck while the grassroots panel will be chaired by Sue Hough, chair of the FA Women’s Board.

The steering group will be tasked with developing code with aim of delivering it by October 11

Players have been kneeling before every Premier League match since the restart last month