MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The man whose harrowing testimony of being sexually abused by a youth coach sparked an ongoing crisis in English soccer wants to take the issue to a global level.

"I can't even begin to give you the numbers of people contacting me directly, not just footballers and ex-footballers but members of the public," Andy Woodward told The Associated Press on Monday. "It's everywhere."

If he's not too weary by the sheer scale of the scandal he helped to uncover, Woodward will fly to New York on Wednesday to speak to an American broadcaster about his 30-year journey from abused youth player to an inspiration to millions.

"I personally know that in America, there are certain things which have potentially happened there," Woodward said. "It's just about reaching out to everyone."

Woodward was the first of a growing list of former soccer players to go public over the past three weeks about the ordeals they went through as youngsters.

The effect has been bigger than they could ever have imagined.

About 450 people have reported incidents of child sexual abuse at soccer clubs to 18 British police forces. A hotline set up by a children's charity in response to sex abuse claims has taken about 1,000 calls in little more than a week. At least 55 clubs, professional and amateur, have been implicated in the story.

On Saturday, Chelsea — the current leader of the English Premier League and one of the biggest clubs in the country — apologized to a former player who was sexually abused while a member of the club's youth team and who was paid 50,000 pounds ($77,500) to keep the matter out of the public domain.

The English Football Association, meanwhile, has started an internal review to re-examine its response to convictions of soccer coaches in the 1990s.

All this because Woodward was brave enough, after decades of anguish and soul-searching, to break his silence.

"I have no words for the emotion about how I feel about it all," Woodward told the AP. "In my stomach, I knew there was a lot more (victims) out there."

The scandal is sure to get bigger.

On Monday, Woodward and other victims launched an independent trust to support players — and their families — who have suffered from child abuse. The aim of the "Offside Trust" is to create a support network for victims, and establish a united front in the search for justice.

"We can't let that happen again," Woodward said at an emotionally charged news conference in Manchester. "We need to let players from this beautiful game we've got to be able to be free from (our) horrible experience and go on to be those footballers they are aspiring to be."

Comments from a lawyer who sat alongside Woodward at the news conference, and who is helping to run the trust, sparked renewed concern about the scope of the scandal.

Ed Smethurst, managing director of law firm Prosperity Law LLP, said he was aware of other cases where soccer clubs have used confidentiality clauses in settlements with victims of sexual abuse. Smethurst also said he knows of people still involved in coaching who victims have spoken about and "certainly need further investigation."

Woodward and other victims have become like a family. Clearly tense before the news conference, he and fellow victim Steve Walters embraced and nervously sipped water.

Walters — the second person to go public about sexual abuse he suffered as a young player — broke down at one stage, and didn't want to answer certain questions.

"I've had over 50 different players get in touch with me (about abuse they suffered)," Walters told the AP afterward. "Some have been professionals, some are still in the game now, a lot of them have fallen by the wayside.

"There are sad stories that people have turned to drink, had broken relationships, one or two have had mental breakdowns. People don't realize the mental torture it provides for you."

Walters said a Belgian player contacted him to speak about his experience of being abused as a youngster, and that he has also spoken to people from Canada, the United States and Australia.

There are two things Walters and the others want to come out of all this.

"We want justice," Walters said. "And we want our future children, especially those involved in sports, to be protected so something like this can never ever happen to a child again."