NEIL Lennon, the Hibernian manager has spoke of his anger and sadness that two friends and former team-mates were sexually abused by former football coach Barry Bennell.

Bennell has been jailed for 31 years for 50 counts of child sexual abuse.

Mr Lennon, who played alongside Andy Woodward and Steve Walters, two of Bennell's victims, at Crewe Alexandra, said he almost felt like he had let them down.

"I feel sorry and I feel angry that my team-mates and my friends went through that," he said.

The Herald:

"I also feel sad that they couldn't confide in anyone, that this guy had such a magnetic hold over them that Andy couldn't even tell his parents.

"There was four of us used to travel from Manchester to Crewe every day, you know and we'd take turns at driving.

"We'd play every day. I was best man at [Woody's] first wedding and he never cracked a light on it."

Mr Lennon joined Crewe in 1990 after leaving Manchester City, while Mr Woodward and Mr Walters were there.

Mr Lennon told the BBC: "The Barry Bennell issue is something that is very raw with me. Just because I knew these guys very, very well. I haven't touched on it before. I have spoken to the police on a couple of occasions.

"You almost feel like 'i've let them down' because Woody was a good friend of mine, you know, at that time. "I'm really proud of the way they've come out of this and I'm really proud of the way they've handled things as well."

Bennell, a junior football coach and youth scout, worked at Crewe in the 1980s and 1990s.

"He was very well thought of as a coach," Lennon said. "He had a good reputation in terms of working with young players and bringing them on.

"Obviously he was very good at what he did, he could put on a very good front. There was a real touch of arrogance about him as well. He was very sure of himself.

"It's horrific, the industrial scale that has gone on. This guy has ruined lives, ruined careers. It's heartbreaking.

"We all just hope he never sees the light of day again."