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When Andy Woodward revealed he had been abused by coach Barry Bennell when a young footballer he lifted the lid on a dark and horrific secret.

Now he has travelled to Brazil, the spiritual home of the "beautiful game", to try to help protect vulnerable youngsters there.

Here he explains what drives him on.

As a young boy it was my dream to be a footballer and never did I think that my coach would take advantage of my vulnerability.

Being abused by Barry Bennell has ruined my life - until now. Now I'm taking the power back and trying to make positive changes.

An important part of that is helping to protect other children from the abuse that stole my childhood.

Being in Brazil has made me even more determined to make a difference around the world.

It's alarming the extent to which abuse can breed in some of the poorest communities here.

Families pin all their hopes on a child getting a break in football. When that break comes a child won't dare ruin it by speaking out about abuse.

The players union of Sao Paulo is leading the way in trying to tackle this issue in Brazil. I'm grateful to the President, Ronaldo Marterelli for inviting me here to work with them.

I truly believe by sharing my story and experience I can make a huge difference.

But I can't do it without the collaboration of authorities and clubs around the world. Safeguarding children is everyone's responsibility. And it needs to be everyone's priority.

It's not just abuse we need to watch out for. The pressures young footballers are under can severely affect them and mental health is also an issue.

Let's make sure they know they don't have to suffer in silence but can speak out and be listened to in trust and in confidence.

Let's reassure them that we care about them as people and about their futures - not just their value for the duration of their playing career.

I care passionately about bringing these changes about. And I will continue to campaign and work with footballing authorities around the world to drive this change.

We can make a positive future for the new generation, not just in football but every sport by working together - united.

:: You can find out more about some of Andy's work at or