A former kitman for Celtic, Hibs and Falkirk has confessed to sexually abusing young footballers over two decades. 

Youth coach Jim McCafferty, 71, admitted to preying on youngsters in the 80s and 90s which he called 'a bit of fun', while coaching at boys’ and junior teams at West Lothian.

He also confessed to abusing young boys at Celtic between 1990 and 1996. 

The former coach, who now lives in Belfast, faces a police investigation and possible prosecution, according to the Daily Record. 

He told the Record: “I understand it was wrong. I was wrong and I did wrong and I am sorry.

“I have remorse. I know if I’m found guilty I will have to serve time, and I’ve said to myself that’s what I’ll have to pay back for what I’ve done.

“I’m OK with that. I hope that will cleanse my soul.”

McCafferty admitted abusing over a dozen victims regularly, confessing two were from Celtic and he 'didn't even know the names of the rest'.

He described his abuse as “not going the whole way, but going some of the way”.

He told of scenes in some dressing rooms after victories were similar to "a teenage orgy" and said after matches he would join boys in the shower for some "horseplay".

He said: “I feel bad that I was involved in it. But at the time I was thinking to myself, if they didn’t want to be involved in it, nobody forced them.”

He also admitted to taking advantage of one child in particular to 'toughen him up' because he was 'a mummy's boy'.

He said: "I took advantage of one boy. He needed a bit of life about him. It was sexual at that time. There was a lot of fondling and fun."

The family of father-of-two John Gaffney, who killed himself in 2013, told how his ordeal was directly linked to the abuse he suffered at the hands of McCafferty 30 years ago.

McCafferty, a family friend of John's, molested him while he was a young boy at a boys' football club in the early 80s.

His ex-wife Linda told of how the abuse haunted him throughout his entire life.

She said: ""I think he spiralled out of control and didn't have the proper tools or resources to cope with what happened to him."