Manchester City have appointed the former Sweden midfielder Therese Sjögran as their women’s director of football. The 47-year-old is the Women’s Super League leaders’ replacement for the former Denmark and Switzerland head coach Nils Nielsen, who left in June.

Sjögran will be in charge of recruitment “across the women’s and girls’ pathway”and of coach and player development, the club said. She will begin on 1 December and report to the managing director, Charlotte O’Neill.

Since retiring as a player in 2015, Sjögran has been the sporting director at Rosengård, for whom she played when the Swedish club were known as Malmö FF Dam.

Sjögran won 214 caps, helping Sweden reach the final of the 2003 Women’s World Cupand 2001 European Championship.

“She is an undisputed icon of the game and has made a real impact on and off the pitch in both a playing and directorial capacity over the past two decades,” O’Neill told City’s website. “We have a fantastic team working behind the scenes to help the club compete for the top honours, and Therese is an excellent addition to that cohort.”

Sjögran arrives with City a point clear at the top of the WSL after five matches, albeit second-placed Chelsea, the defending champions, have a game in hand. Gareth Taylor’s team have started their first group-stage campaign in the Women’s Champions League impressively, enjoying a fine victory over the defending champions, Barcelona earlier this month.