Danny Murphy has spoken about his time at Crewe Alexandra, which overlapped with serial sex offender coach Barry Bennell.

Murphy himself was not directly affected by the abuse but has praised the bravery of friends of his who have come forward to highlight the extent of the suffering at the hands of Bennell and others.

'Football's Darkest Secret' aired on the BBC last night with the stories and ramifications of the abuse carried out at the hands of football coaches.

Since 2016, there have been convictions for abusers such as Bennell, Bob Higgins and George Ormond.

Bennell was a coach at Crewe when Murphy was there as a youth player, where Murphy also benefited from the tutelage of famed manager Dario Gradi.

Danny Murphy on Barry Bennell

"We were interviewed in the '90s by police when it first came out while I was at Crewe," Murphy said.

"After he left, there were some rumours about certain things but when you're a young child - I was 13 when I went to Crewe and when he left, I was about 14/15 - you hear the odd thing.

"But you are so focused on your own world, your own bubble - you are not capable of taking action or investigating. It is not your job to.

"But there were rumours, and then when it was exposed a bit later on - in the '90s - we were interviewed and things started coming out.

"The thing to say for me is really simple: for a lot of young lads - and this doesn't hide from the problems at Crewe, and the way they have dealt with it has not been good -  for me and many others, the environment was very safe, enjoyable and very beneficial.

"That is the way that it should be for all kids. Any wrongdoing, cover-ups or things that can be learned or punished - should be. I'm all for that. It is a situation that is horrendous for the club and for the people involved."

Dario Gradi

Murphy was clear to speak up in favour of former manager Gradi.

"But Dario was not an abuser, he has apologised and I don't think that man - knowing him like I do - would have let children be abused or hurt if he saw that is what was happening. I can't believe that.

"The man that I spent years with was a very caring man - I don't believe for one second that that was the case. Now, could he have done things differently and investigated things more? Yes, probably. Do I think that haunts him probably and that he doesn't sleep at night over what he could and should have done? Probably.

"But all I can talk about is my own experience. It doesn't mean that some of the other lads - friends of mine, by the way, some of the lads involved are friends of mine - I feel their pain and it doesn't help them that I had a good experience. It doesn't help them that other kids didn't have to suffer this - that doesn't help them and I understand the need for justice.

"But I have to say from my experience that the Crewe academy, and the Crewe journey that I went on, was very beneficial and very enjoyable for me."

' I feel lucky'

It must fill a player so close to that kind of life-changing abuse feeling a grim sense of luck.

"I stayed at his house. I stayed at his house one evening. It was a very normal evening. I didn't suspect a thing," Murphy said.

"I didn't have a bad experience - I know what a monster he is, by the way.

"Do you think my parents would have let me stay there if they thought he was a monster? There is always an argument over why are coaches letting players stay at their houses - we are talking about a long time ago where life was very different now.

"But I feel lucky that I wasn't involved in his web of abhorrent behaviour and abuse. I was lucky, yeah, I do feel lucky."

'Their bravery is phenomenal'

Murphy praised those that have come out to talk about the catastrophic effects sexual abuse had on their lives. Murphy is full of nothing but praise.

"My main concern is for the lads, the bravery they have shown has been phenomenal.

"It has been a brilliant thing that these lads did to come out, and then help others come out and talk about these problems.

"Then, hopefully, we get to a point where we're not worried about our children going to play football."

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