One of the former players who claims to have been abused will meet FA bosses later at Wembley.
A second former England footballer has spoken publicly about claims of sexual abuse at the hands of a coach, deepening concerns about the scale of activity by a convicted paedophile at football clubs in the North West in the 1980s and 1990s.
David White, a former striker with Manchester City, issued a statement claiming he had been abused by Barry Bennell, a coach who worked with clubs including Crewe Alexandra and Manchester City prior to his conviction for multiple cases of sexual assault in 1998.
Mr White is the fourth professional player to speak out in the last week, a process that began when former Crewe Alexandra player Andy Woodward gave a harrowing account to The Guardian of abuse he says was perpetrated by Bennell.
Mr Woodward's testimony prompted former teammate Steve Walters to speak out with his own claims against Bennell.
They were followed by former Tottenham and England forward Paul Stewart, who on Tuesday told the Daily Mirror that he had been abused for four years by an unnamed coach.
In a statement released on Wednesday evening Mr White, who is writing a book about his experiences, said: "Given recent press stories I wish to confirm that I was sexually abused by my former football coach Barry Bennell in the late 1970s and early 1980s - this abuse took place while I was attached to the Whitehill FC Junior team based in Manchester."
In 1998, Bennell received a nine-year sentence after admitting 23 specimen charges of sexual offences, including buggery, against six boys aged nine to 15.
He had been arrested when he was deported to England following a four-year prison sentence in Florida for raping and indecently assaulting a 13-year-old British boy while on a football tour.
Bennell was convicted for a third time for sexual abuse in 2015 and received a two-year sentence. He is reported to have been released on licence.
Mr Woodward's initial interview has released a flood of claims and has emboldened abuse victims to speak out. He told Sky News he believes many more could come forward.
"It's so tragic to say this and it's so sad really, because football is the most beautiful game in the world. I mean out there there are so many wonderful coaches, and they're absolutely fantastic.
"But there have been some evil coaches within football and I do believe it's going to be something really big in terms of how many people have suffered."The National Association for People Abused in Childhood said it has recorded a spike in calls from men, who usually make up only 20% of callers to its helplines.
The Football Association has established a helpline, supported by the NSPCC, to make it easier for people to come forward in future.
John Cameron, the NSPCC's head of helplines, said: "We know that there is a strong macho culture in football and other sports as well so it's very difficult for victims of abuse to come forward.
"Our helpline service is available for victims to speak out but also for other people who are concerned about children and young people in those sports to talk about their concerns and get help and assistance as well."
A second former England footballer has spoken publicly about claims of sexual abuse at the hands of a coach, deepening concerns about the scale of activity by a convicted paedophile at football clubs in the North West in the 1980s and 1990s.
David White, a former striker with Manchester City, issued a statement claiming he had been abused by Barry Bennell, a coach who worked with clubs including Crewe Alexandra and Manchester City prior to his conviction for multiple cases of sexual assault in 1998.
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| David White says he was abused while playing for Whitehill FC Junior team |
Mr White is the fourth professional player to speak out in the last week, a process that began when former Crewe Alexandra player Andy Woodward gave a harrowing account to The Guardian of abuse he says was perpetrated by Bennell.
Mr Woodward's testimony prompted former teammate Steve Walters to speak out with his own claims against Bennell.
They were followed by former Tottenham and England forward Paul Stewart, who on Tuesday told the Daily Mirror that he had been abused for four years by an unnamed coach.
In a statement released on Wednesday evening Mr White, who is writing a book about his experiences, said: "Given recent press stories I wish to confirm that I was sexually abused by my former football coach Barry Bennell in the late 1970s and early 1980s - this abuse took place while I was attached to the Whitehill FC Junior team based in Manchester."
 |
| Paul Stewart claims he was abused for four years |
In 1998, Bennell received a nine-year sentence after admitting 23 specimen charges of sexual offences, including buggery, against six boys aged nine to 15.
He had been arrested when he was deported to England following a four-year prison sentence in Florida for raping and indecently assaulting a 13-year-old British boy while on a football tour.
Bennell was convicted for a third time for sexual abuse in 2015 and received a two-year sentence. He is reported to have been released on licence.
Mr Woodward's initial interview has released a flood of claims and has emboldened abuse victims to speak out. He told Sky News he believes many more could come forward.
"It's so tragic to say this and it's so sad really, because football is the most beautiful game in the world. I mean out there there are so many wonderful coaches, and they're absolutely fantastic.
 |
| Barry Bennell has been convicted three times for sexual abuse |
"But there have been some evil coaches within football and I do believe it's going to be something really big in terms of how many people have suffered."The National Association for People Abused in Childhood said it has recorded a spike in calls from men, who usually make up only 20% of callers to its helplines.
The Football Association has established a helpline, supported by the NSPCC, to make it easier for people to come forward in future.
John Cameron, the NSPCC's head of helplines, said: "We know that there is a strong macho culture in football and other sports as well so it's very difficult for victims of abuse to come forward.
 |
| Andy Woodward says many more could have been abused |
"Our helpline service is available for victims to speak out but also for other people who are concerned about children and young people in those sports to talk about their concerns and get help and assistance as well."
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