POLICE Scotland are investigating 130 reports of child sexual abuse in football while admitting it is difficult to estimate the size of the stain on the game.

A "significant number of perpetrators" have been identified, the force said, with two men arrested in Aberdeen and Paisley over incidents.

The sport has been rocked by claims from former players across the UK that they were abused by people in positions of authority and Police Scotland launched a major inquiry into non-recent child abuse in football at the end of last year.

Officers have now received 130 reports, with two arrests made, but believe there will be more to come.

Police Scotland gave no further information on the arrests.

Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Taylor, of the national child abuse investigation unit, said: "Our ongoing investigation into non-recent child abuse in football has to date received 130 reports.

"It is difficult to estimate the true scale of non-recent child sexual abuse in football but we have identified a significant number of perpetrators and victims throughout football and across Scotland, and we believe there are more people who may wish to report."

Concerns have been linked to seven Scottish football clubs. Four of them, Celtic, Rangers, Motherwell and Partick Thistle are in the Scottish Premiership and three are in the Scottish Championship, Hibs, Falkirk and Dundee United.

The Scottish Football Association has said an independent review into child sex abuse in Scottish football is likely to begin next month and will examine "processes and procedures" in place both currently and historically in Scottish football.

A chair is expected to be appointed by February, with work then starting immediately.

The review was set up after several former players revealed they were abused by people in authority.

Det Chief Insp Taylor added: "Child abuse is incredibly difficult for people to revisit and to talk about. Our officers are highly specialist and are trained to deal with all reports sensitively.

"We would ask anyone who has been the victim of abuse or has information about potential abuse to contact us.

"We will listen and we will investigate, and our first priority will be to ensure that there are no children at risk now."

The football scandal emerged six weeks ago when the former Crewe Alexandra defender Andy Woodward waived his right to anonymity to reveal that he had been a victim of sexual abuse.

Former Celtic, Hibs and Falkirk kitman Jim McCafferty, originally from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire has been charged with sexual activity with a child aged 13 to 16 between December 2011 and December 2014 in Northern Ireland.

Partick Thistle confirmed former club physiotherapist John Hart was sacked about claims made about him which emerged in 1992. Hart, who is now dead, also worked for Motherwell.

Hugh Stevenson, a former youth football coach and top-flight assistant referee, has also been accused of a catalogue of child sex offences in Scotland.

Stevenson, who died in 2004, is accused by Pete Haynes, now 50, of sexually abusing him over a three to four-year period from 1979.

SFA chief executive Stewart Regan has "apologised deeply" to Haynes and said his organisation took full responsibility for child protection failings of the past.

The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has so far distanced herself from giving a wider remit to the in-care abuse inquiry to include the issues within football.