Collins, who played briefly for Charlton during the 1980s, has claimed he was groomed by former Chelsea scout Eddie Heath following the death of his father, but kept it to himself for three decades until his wife Adrianne recognised Heath in a television news report.
She asked him if he had been abused and he finally unburdened himself before deciding to tell his elderly mother too.
Collins told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I didn't want her to take it to her grave, then at the same point, I wanted her to know because I thought [I didn't want] her hearing it off everyone - she's always been there for me.
"I wanted her to know, but I did it in such a nice way
I said, 'Look Mum there's nothing you could've done'
It broke her heart
It broke her heart."
Collins revealed his mother with hindsight had questioned whether she should have seen signs of what was going on at the time.
He said: "She said to me, 'There were signs, Paul
That time when you went on holiday and you never had any money and then he paid for your holiday
He came round here and he gave you money when you [went to] Great Yarmouth.
"I should've seen a lot of the signs, Paul, when he used to pick you up and take you back in the evening.'
"I went, 'Mum, you never would've known the signs'."
Collins admitted Heath had been like a father to him, and it was that which stopped him from telling anyone of the abuse.
He said: "He was such a dad to me, such a part of the growing-up in football
He'd done things in such a nice way, you know, buying me things because my mum couldn't afford things
It was things he'd done, so there were times I thought, 'Is this right? Is this how you grow up into football?'
"And when I was so close with Charlton, I thought, 'If I tell someone, my dream's going to be thrown away'."
A series of former youth footballers have accused Heath, who died before allegations against him were made, of abusing them amid widespread allegations which have rocked the game in recent weeks.
Source : PA
Source: PA