• Warnock managed Woodward at Bury and Sheffield United • ‘I really think he is so brave to put it out there and come forward’

Neil Warnock has described himself as “sad and sickened” to read Andy Woodward’s harrowing life story about the years of sexual abuse he encountered at Crewe Alexandra, and has spoken of his hope that if there are other victims who have never come forward they might now have the confidence to do the same.

Warnock took over as manager of Bury in 1998 when Woodward was on the playing staff at Gigg Lane and was one of the few people in whom the footballer confided about being one of the victims of the coach, scout and serial paedophile Barry Bennell at Gresty Road.

Andy Woodward: ‘It was the softer, weaker boys he targeted’ Read more

Woodward, now 43, was subjected to several years of sexual abuse as a youngster in Crewe’s youth set-up and decided to waive his anonymity by telling his story in the Guardian because he can no longer “live with the secret” and is convinced there is more to come out throughout the sport.

Woodward’s belief is that Bennell was colluding for a long time with another paedophile who has never been detected and Warnock praised his former player for trying to initiate a new investigation.

Warnock, now the Cardiff City manager, said he shared Woodward’s belief many others might have been targeted given Bennell’s long-standing involvement with Crewe in the 1980s and ’90s and his close association in the past with Stoke City and Manchester City, as well as junior teams in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester.

“It made me feel sad and sickened to read Andy’s interview and to think about what it’s done to a young man’s future – a great future – and how it has obviously haunted him for years,” Warnock said. “It’s been like a life sentence for him and I really think he is so brave to put it out there and come forward.

“I think he’s doing the right thing, too, because it’s the only way he will get closure. He has to try to get on with his life now but it’s easy for me to say that – I haven’t been through something like he has and unless you have I don’t think anybody can possibly know how terrible it must have been for him.

“He’s had all this time with everything trapped inside his head. I can’t even begin to think what he’s been through because the poor lad has had to deal with so much trauma. I just don’t think people can understand what something like this can do to your life.”

Bennell was sentenced to nine years in prison in 1998 after admitting 23 specimen charges of sexual offences against six boys aged nine to 15. He was initially charged with 45 offences but 22 were allowed to lie on file. He is now 62 and was jailed for two years in May 2015 because of another historic offence involving a 12-year-old boy on a football course.

Woodward also confided in Stan Ternent, Warnock’s predecessor at Bury, and has spoken to both managers in the last couple of days. “It’s almost 20 years now since Andy first came to me and it’s a tribute to him, after everything he has been through, that he is still with us,” Ternent said.

“The people responsible – not just Barry Bennell – need to be brought to book. Andy is a smashing human being and he’s been through a hell of a lot. I know how hard this has been for him and that he’s been in a terrible state at times. I just hope other people can be brave enough to come forward now.”

Woodward’s career ended at the age of 29 because he was unable to cope with long periods of his professional life where he was suicidal, suffering from depression and anxiety. As a player he suffered panic attacks during games and was so broken mentally that when Warnock left Bury for Sheffield United, taking the player with him, the defender made only three league starts for his new club.

“When he played for me at Bury I always thought ‘he’s a hell of a player, this kid’,” Warnock said. “I couldn’t understand why it [his form] suddenly went off. He then told me what had happened, but not in the detail I know from reading his interview.

“I still took him to Sheffield United with me because I felt if I hadn’t it would have destroyed him. But the poor lad was a wreck. I wanted to give him some confidence back but he couldn’t cope and I’m not surprised bearing in mind what he had been through.”

• In the UK, The Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14.