The man who helped turn the English Premier League into a worldwide commercial behemoth has officially joined the push to save the A-League.

The Sydney Morning Herald can reveal that Richard Scudamore, who headed up the Premier League for nearly two decades, has been installed as a "special advisor" to the A-League clubs and competition boss Greg O'Rourke.

Former English Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore has become a "special advisor" to the A-League. Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images

Scudamore, 60, became chief executive of England's top league in November 1999 and stepped down as executive chairman in November last year after overseeing a period of phenomenal growth. During his tenure, central revenues rose from £148 million in the 1997-98 season to £3.2 billion this season.

His appointment is as big an off-field coup as could be conceived for the A-League, which is transitioning away from the control of Football Federation Australia and towards an independent structure run by the clubs – much like the transformation of the EPL back in 1992. The legal separation is expected to be finalised imminently.

Scudamore is also the ex-chairman of the World Leagues Forum, of which the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association (APFCA) became an associate member last year, bringing him into the orbit of some powerful A-League identities and giving him an insight into the idiosyncrasies of Australian domestic football.

While his football business acumen is wide-ranging, Scudamore's specific experience in negotiating increasingly lucrative television deals for the EPL can only be of benefit to the A-League as it confronts a rapidly changing broadcast landscape at a time when ratings on Fox Sports are nosediving and general interest is flagging.

The global football economy is significant and growing. Australia’s share of that economy is most definitely not what it should be. Richard Scudamore

Scudamore believes the challenges faced by the A-League are not uncommon elsewhere in the world and told the Herald he had a "unique and relevant perspective" on where the sport finds itself.

"If anything, Australia has more potential to harness the economic and commercial opportunities available to the game," Scudamore said.

"Certainly all the ingredients are there for significant and rapid development and growth – most importantly there is a groundswell of shared ambition in the Australian game, and that is as uncommon as it is vital."

Scudamore's formal, paid role has been in the works over the last few weeks but he has been an informal consultant for A-League owners for several months.

The A-League's 15th and arguably most important season was launched on last Tuesday. AAP

The Herald reported in July that he had been sounded out by the clubs, through their umbrella body APFCA, as to whether he had an appetite to become involved with the new independent A-League body. The special advisor position is the "natural development" of those conversations, Scudamore said.

Having left the Premier League last November with a controversial £5 million golden handshake, Scudamore is also currently serving on the committee of the European Tour's Ryder Cup, where he has been tasked with boosting the commercial value of golf's biggest team event. He remains an advisor to the Premier League and several other football organisations and entities.

A-League head Greg O'Rourke could not ask for a better sounding board than Richard Scudamore. AAP

As well as being available on call at any time to APFCA and O'Rourke, Scudamore will make several visits to Australia - the first of which is slated for next month, when he will attend strategic planning meetings, workshops, visit clubs and take in some A-League games during round six.

But Scudamore said the hard work has already begun on his end, and that the small tweaks made this season to the promotion, broadcast access and refereeing of the competition were the first steps on an "exciting journey" for the professional game in Australia.

"Reaching any league’s full potential requires a clear purpose and focus on what has to be done," Scudamore said.

"Australia is taking that step now by dividing responsibilities from the governing body which will reveal opportunities unavailable to the game until this point. The game’s status as the biggest Australian participation sport speaks volumes as to where it can get to and those opportunities become more significant the more the A and W-Leagues evolve."

While his accomplishments with the EPL speak for themselves, some fans in England hold Scudamore at least partially responsible for dragging football away from its working-class roots. His proposal in 2008 to play a 39th regular-season game overseas caused huge controversy.

Scudamore rejected the proposition that the EPL's surge in overseas popularity had made it more difficult for competitions like the A-League to thrive, and said an improved product could help solve the riddle of why so many people in Australia play football, but don't watch domestic teams.

"The global football economy is significant and growing. Australia’s share of that economy is most definitely not what it should be," he said.

"There are many factors that have led to this situation but I know from so many other examples around the world that domestic professional leagues are the key to rectifying it, delivering regular season long football that drives passion and interest."

O'Rourke, meanwhile, said it would "invaluable" to be able to call on Scudamore's knowledge and council as strategic plans for the A-League, W-League, National Youth League and e-League are rolled out.

"His unrivalled expertise and experience will be important as we build an organisation and competitions worthy of the Australian game and the communities and commercial partners who support them," O'Rourke said.

The clubs, naturally, are delighted to have snared the name at the very top of their list to provide what they believe is the best possible help they could get in resuscitating the A-League.

"You can't get better. There is no better – not that I know of. He's as good as you get," said APFCA chair and Western Sydney Wanderers owner Paul Lederer.