It is understood the payment was signed off by Alan Shaw, Chelsea’s company secretary and an influential figure inside the club. Chelsea refused to confirm or deny that was the case. The club are at pains to point out that the confidentiality agreement was standard procedure in settling legal complaints at the time. It is suggested the club’s insurers also urged the case be settled with the gagging clause included.

Another member of a Chelsea junior squad has told how he was “repeatedly touched up” by Heath in about 1970. The promising player was so horrified he dropped out of football altogether.

A childhood friend recalled: “He would tell me how Heath had touched him. He is 60 now and he still finds it difficult to talk about.” The friend said that following the Telegraph revelations, the ex-junior had been able to tell for the first time his wife and grown-up children of the abuse he suffered.