Paul Stewart
Former England player Paul Stewart has revealed that he was sexually assaulted ‘every day for four years’ by a youth coach.
Now 52, Stewart, whose career saw big-money moves from Manchester City to Tottenham and then Liverpool, says he was attacked between the ages of 11 and 15 by the coach who had pledged to ‘make him a star’.
In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Stewart claims his attacker threatened to kill his relatives if he ever told anyone.
‘The mental scars led me into other problems with drink and drugs,’ he said. ‘I know now it was a grooming process. The level of abuse got worse and worse.”
‘I still went out and played. After a while that became an escape from him, a total relief for 90 minutes. My family, career, success was a way of forgetting.’
Stewart came forward after reading about Andy Woodward, 43, who was abused by Crewe coach and scout Barry Bennell, 61.
Bennell was sentenced to nine years in prison in 1998 after admitting sexual offences against six boys, including Woodward, who gave an interview detailing the abuse and his fears that many other victims had suffered in silence.
In his interview, Stewart claims there may be ‘hundreds’ of other victims amid fears that a paedophile ring was operating at the time in North West football. The attacker is not Bennell.
On Tuesday, Steve Walters, another former Crewe player, also waived his anonymity and came forward to say he was also abused by Bennell, out on licence after being jailed again in 2015 for a historical case involving a 12-year-old boy.
He told The Guardian: ‘The first time he (Bennell) tried anything I can remember getting a bit aggressive with him.’
‘It was a dark room and I was on the top bunk when he came in. I told him to get out and, after that, nothing happened for quite a while but that was him testing the water.’
‘I think it was a case of: “There’s nothing happening here, but give it a bit of time.” Then, two or three months later, it started again. I just wish I could turn the clock back but I was at such a young age I felt almost paralysed.’
Crewe have opened an investigation into the allegations of historic sexual abuse.
Six people have come forward to speak to Cheshire Police after Woodward spoke about abuse he suffered.