London: Ex-Chelsea football star Alan Hudson said it was "common knowledge" that a former scout at the club was a paedophile, media reported on Saturday as an abuse scandal engulfing the sport deepens.

His comments come after another former Chelsea player, Gary Johnson, claimed he was paid £50,000 ($63,000) by the Premier League club not to go public with allegations that he was sexually abused as a young player by ex-chief scout Eddie Heath.