DAVID Leatherdale is to leave his role as Worcestershire chief executive to take up the same post with the Professional Cricketers’ Association.

Leatherdale will bring more than 30 years of sterling service at New Road as player and administrator to an end in mid-March.

The 48-year-old replaces Angus Porter, who is departing the CEO post with the PCA, which he has held since 2010, after overseeing the County’s annual meeting on Wednesday, March 16.

Worcestershire chairman Stephen Taylor paid tribute to the “magnificent service” on and off the pitch of Leatherdale to the County, who he first linked up with as a promising, young all-rounder in 1985.

Taylor said: “It is a sad day for Worcestershire and a massive loss to the club, but it is one of those prestigious roles that becomes available now and again and I can fully understand David taking it.

“He has great experience of the playing side from his 20 years playing for Worcestershire and, with the amount of praise Worcestershire are given when I attend ECB meetings because of David’s expertise across all areas of business, he will be ideal within his new role.

“I’ve had a great relationship with him as chairman and I think this is a great role for David to take on.

“It fits a lot of the great skills he has developed and shows how well he is thought of within the game.”

Leatherdale has been one of the few chief executives on the county circuit with previous experience of being a professional cricketer.

Taylor said the club would discuss the exact role of his successor at New Road, but would not be rushed into an appointment.

Taylor added: “There are not many chief executives out there now who are past professional cricketers.

“As a club, we will start the process of looking at finding the right person for the right role, which may look slightly different to the current role as these will be big shoes to fill.

“For all the years David has done at New Road, there is a massive thank you.

“He may have originated from Yorkshire, just like director of cricket Steve Rhodes, but he is a Worcestershire person through-and-through and we wish him the very best in his future role with the PCA.”

Leatherdale, who will speak about his departure in March, was a member of the successful Worcestershire side during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

He scored 10,017 first-class runs at an average of 32.73 and more than 5,000 List A runs.

Bradford-born Leatherdale’s medium-pace bowling was also a key part of County’s one-day attack and he ended his career with 183 List A and 132 first-class wickets.

After his retirement in 2005, he took up the role of commercial director at New Road and eventually replaced Mark Newton as chief executive at the end of the 2010 season.