A former Chelsea player has spoken out to being abused while he was still a young player at the team and being paid 50,000 euros ($53,000) by the Premiers League Club to keep the matter a secret.

In an interview carried out by the Mirror, retired premier league footballer Gary Johnson spoke about being sexually assaulted and tortured in the 1970s for over three years. He explained that the money was used as a cover-up since during that time such abuse was a common incident.

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"For them to pay the money that they paid with an order, tells you that they didn't want to admit or help myself for fear of being exposed," Johnson said.

He explained that as much as he tried to report the incident to the police, it was still fruitless. Instead of assisting him, they end up asking him quite traumatizing questions.

"I was quite taken back by his level of questioning," he said. "I put the phone away because I couldn't believe the questions that he was asking."

In his remarks, he added that he was assaulted by Eddie Heath, who was mandated to groom him. Heath, however, already passed away so it is hard to confirm or deny the allegations.

In a BBC news report, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), a body established to safeguard children in the UK and Channel Islands, revealed that it received a shocking 860 calls in its first week of operation between Nov. 23 and 29.

Peter Wanless, the chief executive of the NSPCC, explained that there is a "worrying extent of abuse that had been going on within the sport."

Tags Chelsea, English Premier League, Assault, NSPCC