His appointment sees him become the advisor to the general secretary of the RFU, Alexander Alaev.

Since 2016, the Briton has served as technical director of the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

He was a co-founder of the VAR system which is now used in some of the biggest football leagues in the world, including the English Premier League.

It also made its FIFA World Cup debut in Russia in 2018, leading to more late winners than any tournament prior due to the delay the technology caused in games.

His role as an independent special advisor will see him provide advice on the compliance of VAR in Russian football, as outlined by IFAB and FIFA.

Over the past four years, Elleray has been pivotal to rolling out the new technology in national and international competitions.

He is a qualified FIFA referee and has served in the English Premier League as well as the FA Cup Final.

VAR testing was approved in 2016 before it was used at the 2017 Confederations Cup for the first time.

It is also used in the UEFA Champions League – the most prestigious European club football competition.

In Russian Premier League matches, VAR can currently not be used in more than four matches in one day.

The technology has proved controversial around the world, with some saying it corrects mistakes and others arguing that it still leads to debatable decisions while disrupting the flow of matches.

The Russian Premier League received a boost in May when the country's Government approved the entry of foreign players for the football season.

The RFU has been aiming to rebuild its reputation following the resignation of its former President Vitaly Mutko, the nation's former deputy prime minister.

Mutko was heavily linked to the state sponsored doping scandal in the country during his tenure.