John Earley has resigned from the board of the Football Association of Ireland, the organisation confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday evening.

In it, the organisation said that Earley, who is the chairman of the Schoolboys Football Association of Ireland, had informed association president Donal Conway of his departure by letter, saying he “had made the decision in the best interests of Irish football”.

With Conway having already announced that he is to go before the end of January, the move clears the way for the association to have a board entirely different to the one that had served during former chief executive John Delaney’s time at the organisation, complete with independent members, in place within a matter of weeks. This is something the association it will feel should help in its effort to restore normal relations with Minister for Sport Shane Ross and the government.