FORMER Southampton football coach Bob Higgins told a court he performed ‘soapy water massages’ on teenage boys after watching a documentary about Leeds United manager Don Revie.

The coach insisted young players benefitted from his massages, during which he is alleged to have sexually assaulted many, claiming the boys ‘quite enjoyed’ them after a hard training session.

Higgins accepted that he might accidentally have ‘brushed their testicles’ with his hands while lathering them with soapy water, but got no sexual satisfaction from it.

The coach revealed he had seen the documentary about the Leeds and England manager, called ‘The Don Revie Story’, in which Revie claimed: “I think the players look forward to it.”

Revie was a former England international star, who went on to oversee Leeds United’s most successful period and succeeded Sir Alf Ramsey as England manager.

Former Saints and Peterborough United coach Higgins, 65, said he told youngsters who dreamed of being footballers ‘soap water massages’ would be given to professionals.

And he said he believed the teenage players, many who were aged between 12 and 16, “enjoyed” them.

Higgins is said to have put love songs on in his car as he drove players to and from training and games.

While the music was on, it is alleged he would then touch boys’ legs, wink at them in the car mirror and even went as far as touching the teenagers inappropriately.

However, Higgins denied that he was trying to create an atmosphere in his car, claiming he simply ‘loved’ the music of Whitney Houston and Celine Dion.

When asked by his barrister, Alistair McDonald QC, if he had ever been involved in any ‘impropriety’ with young boys, Higgins denied the allegations, though he did admit he ‘probably’ put his arms round teenage players as they sat with him on his sofa.

Higgins is accused of grooming and sexually abusing 24 teenage boys from 1971 to 1996.

Jurors were today played a clip of a 1974 documentary about Revie, in which he is seen giving soapy massages to players.

Higgins said: “

I told the other coaches how to do the massages. The purpose was to loosen the players up and relax the calf muscles. I think they quite enjoyed the massages.”

When asked by Mr MacDonald if he got any sexual gratification or deliberately touched players, he denied he had.

Higgins, of Southampton,denies 50 counts of indecent assault on boys.

The trial, which has moved from Salisbury Crown Court, to Winchester Crown Court continues.