Ex-Chelsea player Gary Johnson wants further compensation from club

Gary Johnson insists the £50,000 he received from Chelsea as compensation for alleged sexual abuse suffered at the hands of former chief scout Eddie Heath is "not enough for the pain and suffering" he has experienced.

Last week Johnson, who joined the Blues as an 11-year-old in 1970 and played for the first team from 1978 to 1981, went public to tell the story of his treatment by Heath, who worked at Stamford Bridge as chief scout from 1968 to 1979 and died in the early-1980s.

He did so after Chelsea waived the confidentiality clause in the original compensation agreement, and the club's board subsequently issued a statement apologising "profusely" for Johnson's suffering while acknowledging that the inclusion of provisions that prevented either party from speaking out about Heath or the settlement was "inappropriate in this instance." 

Asked whether he deserved more compensation during an appearance on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show on Thursday, Johnson said: "Yes. It would help me build a better life. I was pushed into a corner and told I had to sign it to get the money. It [the abuse] took away my childhood -- I can never get that back."

Johnson met with Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck as well as directors Marina Granovskaia and Eugene Tenenbaum on Wednesday, as the Blues board followed up their statement by apologising personally for his suffering and their handling of the claim -- a gesture the 57-year-old insists is "too little, too late."

Chelsea have retained an external law firm to carry out an investigation into claims that Heath sexually abused other young players during his time at the club, and have pledged to work with the Football Association and police to uncover the truth and provide support for victims.

Meanwhile, dozens of potential suspects have been identified in connection with historical child sex abuse allegations in football, police have revealed.

Ninety-eight clubs spanning all tiers of the game have been "impacted," according to figures released by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC).

The NPCC said 98 percent of those identified as victims are male and the age range for potential victims at the time of alleged abuse spans from as young as seven to 20.

Many forces across the country continue to receive an increased number of calls from victims and people offering information, the NPCC said.

A total of 639 referrals from a National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) helpline and directly from police forces have been received by Operation Hydrant, a national coordination hub.

The NPCC said analysis of information received by Operation Hydrant is ongoing, "with processes to determine if the referral relates to a victim or a witness and whether the information received is new or a duplication of information already received."

It added that the figure does not equate to the number of victims and an "indicative" figure of 350 previously reported continues to apply.

Other figures released showed that 83 potential suspects have been identified and 98 football clubs have been "impacted."

This does not equate to 98 football clubs under investigation but refers to the number of clubs referenced when information is submitted, the NPCC said, adding: "The figure spans all tiers of football, from premier clubs through to amateur."