Report: Chelsea made secret payment to former player over sex abuse claims

Chelsea made a clandestine payment to a former player who threatened to go public three years ago with claims an ex-chief scout abused him in the 1970s, according to The Telegraph's Robert Mendick and Ben Rumsby.

The alleged culprit in question is considered to be Eddie Heath, an "influential" scout for Chelsea for more than a decade, who is now dead.

The Premier League outfit announced Tuesday it has retained the services of an external law firm to investigate the allegations, but the statement neither confirmed nor denied that it provided compensation to a former player.

Mendick and Rumsby understand the payment was made within the past three years on the condition that the player, his family, and lawyer couldn't speak or even acknowledge the existence of the case.

The Telegraph's team of reporters couldn't independently confirm the veracity of the accuser's claims, only that a payment was made to that particular individual.

However, Times of London chief sports reporter Martyn Ziegler corroborated The Telegraph's findings, and lent support to the accusations.

Ziegler said he spoke to one former 1970s Chelsea trainee who told him Heath was someone to avoid in private situations.

"Everyone would say, 'Don't let Eddie Heath see you in the showers or get you alone in his car," the player is quoted as saying.

Heath was Chelsea's chief scout between 1968 and 1979, helping to produce the likes of former England and AC Milan midfielder Ray Wilkins.

Wilkins described Heath as a "great guy" in a recent interview, adding that he was "fantastic as far as I am concerned."

This development is just the latest after a two-week spell of revelations into child sex abuse in the northwest of England. Eight police forces across the land are now spearheading their own investigations into allegations of historical abuse dating back decades ago.

Convinced paedophile Barry Bennell was charged with eight new offences of sexual assault Tuesday following revelations of child abuse from ex-Crewe Alexandra player Andy Woodward, along with several others.

The Football Association has already set up an independent panel to assess what clubs knew - if anything - about the widespread claims.

Speaking of a potential cover-up by English clubs, FA chairman Greg Clarke said, according to the Guardian, "I find it morally repugnant that people would suppress reporting of crimes against children to protect their reputation."

He added, "If anyone has behaved improperly, they will be held to account and that information will be released. The FA will not be part of any cover-up. If a club has behaved badly, they will be held to account."