THIS English football player comes out as gay, says ‘off the pitch hiding real me’

English football club Blackpool said it was ‘incredibly proud that he has reached a stage where he is empowered to express himself both on and off the pitch’.

English football player Jake Daniels said he is gay in a trailblazing moment for the European men’s game. The 17-year-old forward on Monday made the announcement at the end of his first season as a professional player with second division club Blackpool.

“This season has been a fantastic one for me on the pitch,” he said in a statement. “But off the pitch I’ve been hiding the real me and who I really am. I've known my whole life that I’m gay, and I now feel that I’m ready to come out and be myself. It’s a step into the unknown being one of the first footballers in this country to reveal my sexuality.”

While women’s football features many prominent LGBTQ+ players, the men’s professional game lacks players who are publicly gay and has seemed to have even hostile attitudes in locker rooms. At the weekend, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye was left out of the matchday squad for a game at Montpellier amid reports he refused to wear a team jersey with a rainbow-colored number.

It was part of a French league-wide campaign against homophobia and the Senegal international has a strong Muslim faith. PSG has not denied the reports or made an official comment. Daniels said he was inspired by Josh Cavallo of Australian team Adelaide United, who is the only openly gay man currently playing in a top division in world soccer following the 22-year-old midfielder’s announcement in October.

“I’ve hated lying my whole life and feeling the need to change to fit in,” Daniels said. “I want to be a role model myself by doing this. There are people out there in the same space as me that may not feel comfortable revealing their sexuality.