The Football Association has appointed Kate Gallafent QC, an independent legal counsel, to assist its review into historical child abuse allegations.
Gallafent will oversee an internal review of claims of sexual abuse made by a growing number of former youth footballers.
In a statement, the FA suggested a fully-fledged inquiry may follow but said the initial review would explore "what information the FA was aware of at the relevant times around the issues that have been raised in the press, what clubs were aware of, and what action was or should have been taken."
Gallafent will then provide recommendations "to ensure these situations can never be repeated."
The FA's move came as Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, revealed that the number of players to have made allegations of abuse is now more than 20.
Taylor, speaking to Radio Five Live's Sportsweek, said up to seven clubs were connected to the allegations and added that he only expected the situation to widen in scale.
"From that time, of those who became apprentices and senior players, over 20 players have come forward," he said.
Asked to name the clubs that had been connected to allegations thus far, Taylor said: "We'd start at Crewe, go to Man City, Stoke, Blackpool, Newcastle, Leeds... I'm expecting there will be more. I think we have six or seven clubs.
"I can't believe it's just going to be in the north-west and north-east. We need to be mindful this could be throughout the country in the same way it's been in other professions where children are there -- in the church, in schools."
Barry Bennell, the former youth coach and convicted paedophile who has been named by players including Andy Woodward, Steve Walters, David White and Ian Ackley, worked with Crewe, City, Stoke and several junior clubs in the north-west.
The Metropolitan Police, Hampshire Police and Cheshire Police have all said they are investigating allegations of abuse in football.
Northumbria Police said it was investigating an allegation by an unnamed former Newcastle player that he had been abused during his time in the club's youth system.
The Guardian said the former player had contacted police to make allegations against George Ormond, a coach in the north-east who was jailed for six years in 2002 for carrying out numerous assaults over a 24-year period.
Newcastle said they would co-operate with the authorities "if or when the club receives further information."