Former Liverpool star Craig Johnston has hailed the rise of girl's football, saying it has lifted the sport to a new level.
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"What I love most about football at the moment is the remarkable take up of soccer by the girls. That has delighted me no end," said Johnston, who lives in Newcastle.
He also had a word of praise for mums.
"Soccer mums have always been the backbone of the nation. They're the ones who drive the kids to soccer practice, clean the kit and volunteer to do the sandwiches and drinks on the weekend. They're the real heroes, like my own mum who was a soccer mum," he said.
Johnston, who put on a coaching session with Catholic primary school players at Gateshead last Friday, aims to boost skills throughout the game.
The kids participated in his Craig Johnston Cup format, which he said was "all about fun and control of the ball".
"Kids love to do it and, at the same time, they can get better on a daily basis via an app. They're tested for how fast and accurate they are," he said.
"It's a very unique system that I developed with the British government in schools.
"Australia has all the heart and battle, but we don't have the skills of the Argentinians, Brazilians or French.
"The only way to get the skills is to create a skills culture in football. Cricket did it with the Big Bash, giving the audience much more of what they want, along with more skill with the bat and ball."
Johnston continues to work on his "Big Bash of soccer" plan with A-League clubs.
"This concept is very easy for Australians to follow because the Big Bash of cricket has opened up huge audiences and sponsorship," he said.
"Cricket has managed to turn its culture around but soccer hasn't."
He said the Big Bash of soccer would provide entertainment that catered to the "kids and the mums".
He calls the blokes of soccer a "HAMS demographic".
"That's Hairy Ass Male Soccer Supporter."
He said other sporting codes had "out-marketed soccer", including rugby league, AFL, cricket and basketball.
"What we've got to realise is soccer is in the entertainment business," he said.
However, he lamented the modern-day practice of charging parents massive fees for youngsters to play football.
"We have to stop clawing all this money from all these parents," he said.
He said the Big Bash attracted youngsters to cricket and football could do the same.
His Big Bash plan incorporates the methods he taught himself to become a better player as a teenager in Middlesbrough Football Club's car park.
It was his dedication to these skills that led him to become Australia's most decorated footballer.
He attended the Matildas match in Newcastle last week and is looking forward to the women's World Cup in Australia in July.
He called last year for the western stand of McDonald Jones Stadium to be named after Matildas legend Cheryl Salisbury.
He believes girls can lift the Newcastle Jets and the grassroots game.
"There's a new board at Northern NSW Football, so we can take it from grassroots to glory and be a real force in this country," he said.
"With the right moves, Northern NSW can be a powerhouse for women and men's soccer. It's the perfect time now to rebuild Northern NSW Football into a national powerhouse and lead the way for the rest of the country."
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