Paul Stewart Interview

Paul Stewart Interview

Andy Greeves speaks to former England international Paul Stewart about the recent release of his hard-hitting and courageous biography - Damaged - My Story.

6 October, 2017

In November 2016, Paul Stewart was one of a number of former professional footballers to waive their right to anonymity and talk publicly about the sexual abuse they had suffered as young players in the English game at the hands of one of their coaches.

The ex-Manchester City, Spurs and Liverpool player came forward having read the story of Andy Woodward - a former Crewe Alexandra defender. Woodward alleged in an interview with The Guardian that he had been the victim of sexual abuse as a child by former coach Barry Bennell during the 1980s. Woodward's words bared shocking similarities with Stewart's own experiences as a young player.

"It was like listening to my own life story when I heard about what had happened to Andy Woodward," says Stewart. "I had bottled up the secret of my own abuse for 41 years and on the back of reading that (Woodward's interview), it felt like the right thing to do… to come forward and tell my own story. I wanted to do it in support of the players that had come forward already and to give other victims out there the strength to speak out."

Stewart was interviewed by the Daily Mirror reporter Jeremy Armstrong prior to the newspaper releasing a front-page story on November 23, 2016 with the headline - 'England ace: I was sexually abused by my coach for four years'. The piece revealed the abuse Stewart had suffered on a daily basis between the ages of 11 and 15 by a then-unnamed football coach. That coach was later revealed to be Frank Roper - who had strong connections with Blackpool Football Club, where Stewart's professional career began. Roper died in October 2005.

"When I decided to come forward, I spoke to my family first - including my parents, who are still alive," recalls Stewart. "Then, I spoke with Jeremy (Armstrong), who was covering the story for the Daily Mirror. He came to my home and we spent around three days together, when I talked about the events of my past and how it had affected me.

"He was very genuine and was keen to make sure that the story that was written was right for me. His compassion was there all the way along, which isn't often a trait that people associate with newspaper reporters."

On the back of his story being made public, Stewart received huge support from within the football world and beyond. Former teammate Gary Lineker and current England manager Gareth Southgate were among those to pay tribute to the Manchester-born player and his courage in coming forward.

"I was overwhelmed by the number of support messages I received back in November 2016 and have continued to receive since," smiles Stewart. "You can't deny the impact receiving kind words has on you. While I've been able to tell my story and write a book, it doesn't mean that I am constantly fine. I still have my dark days still but those messages have definitely helped the way I feel."

After making his story known, a number of publishers approached Stewart with regards to him writing a book. The ex-player agreed to work with Trinity Mirror Sport Media, on the condition that he could collaborate on the project with Daily Mirror journalist Jeremy Armstrong.
"Jeremy and I have not just a good working relationship but a really good friendship too," adds Stewart.
"The whole process (of writing Paul Stewart - Damaged: My Story) took about eight months in total. I'm one of those people that doesn't do things in half measures and from the outset, I was prepared to put in the time that was required to tell my story properly. I was keen for my voice to come through in the book.

"When we first began writing the book, myself and Jeremy worked together solidly for about two weeks. After that, we spoke everyday via phone or email, sending things back and forth every day for about eight months. We finally got to the point where I was happy with what I had written and set out to achieve. The book is honest, open and a bit hard hitting at times, but there are some light moments in there too."

Damaged - My Story covers Stewart's football career in relative detail, including his goal in the 1991 FA Cup Final that helped Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at Wembley Stadium. However, its main focus centres around the sexual and physical abuse he suffered as a youngster and the impact it had on his life thereafter. He talks frankly about his battle with alcohol and drugs and the suicidal thoughts he had, as he carried such a heavy secret with him.

"I never had any intentions of writing an autobiography as I never thought my career warranted any form of football memoir," comments Stewart, who has run his own digital signage company for the last 15 years since retiring from playing. "If anyone is looking for a conventional sporting biography, this is not it.

"The book enabled me to write down an awful lot that I had kept to myself. I think when people read it, they will understand me a little bit more and appreciate why I've done some of the things I have in my life. I don't make excuses for those things… for the roads I went down which I shouldn't have. The important message too is how I've come out the other side of something like this. I hope I can inspire people that read this book and that might be trying to deal with demons of their own."

Paul Stewart - Damaged: My Story - RRP £18.99 - is on sale from Amazon and all good book shops.