Ferdinand is one of a tiny number of black executives working in the professional game, and enjoyed a distinguished playing career with QPR, Newcastle and Tottenham as well as winning 17 senior England caps.

He has been outspoken on the game's approach to diversity matters, and said in September the impact of players taking the knee had been "diluted", adding in a statement on the club's website that the gesture was now "not dissimilar to a fancy hashtag or a nice pin badge".

Ferdinand is understood to be a member of Football's Black Coalition (FBC) which was launched last month, and which will seek to push governing bodies to do more to tackle racism within the game.

Paul Elliott, the chair of the FA's inclusion advisory board, is reportedly a contender to succeed Clarke, as is the organisation's head of women's football Baroness Sue Campbell.

Clarke, who has also stood down as a vice-president of the game's world governing body FIFA, apologised during the appearance in front of MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee for using the word "coloured".

He also said South Asians had "different career interests" to people from an Afro-Caribbean background, suggested a person's sexuality was a "life choice" and recounted an anecdote about being told girls were afraid of having a football kicked at them.

The FA has appointed professional game board chair Peter McCormick has Clarke's interim replacement.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said he hoped a permanent successor to Clarke would be in place by the end of March next year.