All you need to know about Rebecca Welch, the first woman to referee Premier League match

Rebecca Welch is set to become the first woman to referee a Premier League match, when she takes charge of Fulham's game against Burnley on December 23. The 40-year-old began her refereeing journey in 2010 and bagged the milestone in January by becoming the first woman to officiate a Championship match. Last month, she became the first woman to act as a fourth official when she was at the technical area for Fulham's match vs Manchester United.

Referee Rebecca Welch in action.(AP)

Referees' chief Howard Webb said, "Rebecca is a really calm, focused individual on the field. She does command a lot of respect in a pretty understated way. She has a good reading of the game; she is an accurate decision-maker, a good athlete on the field, too."

"When you meet her, she's not got huge stature in terms of being really tall, but she has a presence about her. She's a really determined official. She is similar in some ways to Stephanie Frappart, the French official who has worked on the Champions League this year.