Gay Premier League footballer 'very likely' to e out next year, says Jt Fashanu's niece | UK News | Sky News

Contents:

• GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE
• UNNAMED PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER REVEALS HE IS GAY LETTER BUT SAYS HE N'T GO PUBLIC
• JAKE DANIELS BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY - REACTN
• JOSH CAVALLO: ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER OUT AS GAY, SAYG: 'I'M TIRED OF THIS DOUBLE LIFE'
• JAKE DANIELS: ENGLAND'S ONLY OPENLY GAY ACTIVE FOOTBALLER REVEALS TOM DALEY SPIRED HIM TO E OUT
• JT FASHANU'S NIECE: I HOPE GAY FOOTBALLER SET TO E OUT ISN'T A HOAX
• CZECH REPUBLIC FOOTBALLER JAKUB JANKTO OUT AS GAY
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS' KEV MAXEN IS FIRST AMERIN MALE PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
• JT FASHANU: BRA'S FIRST OUT GAY FOOTBALLER TO BE DUCTED TO HALL OF FAME

GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE

An unnamed Premier League footballer has revealed he is gay an open letter, but isn't prepared to e out star has opened up about the torment of keepg his sexualy a secret and has aimed the letter at thori and fans, scribg how he is takg a "huge step" revealg his sexualy.

In a letter which has been shared wh Sky News by the Jt Fashanu Foundatn, the player wr: "I am gay. The unknown star is beg supported by the Jt Fashanu Foundatn, which is n by the former footballer's niece, Fashanu, who played for top flight clubs om the late 1970s to the mid 1980s, was the first profsnal footballer to be openly gay.

Ms Fashanu says there are no openly gay or bisexual male profsnal footballers the untry at prent and this revelatn was a "signifint moment and a posive step forward" tacklg this told Sky News: "The fact this player wanted to wre a letter about this is a huge step forward. Celebri show support for Schofield after he out as gay. Jt Fashanu was the first profsnal footballer to be openly gay.

UNNAMED PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER REVEALS HE IS GAY LETTER BUT SAYS HE N'T GO PUBLIC

"In a Digal, Culture, Media and Sport Select Commtee hearg on 7 July, former England women's team footballer Enla Alo said gay male footballers wouldn't risk g out the public doma bee of the homophobic backlash they would said there are current footballers who have told their teammat they are gay, but add: "The issue really now is that fear of what fans will do and are gog to say, but I don't thk that is as legimate a fear as ed to be bee we're livg a world now where beg gay is somethg that is wily accepted. How attus to gay people the army have changed.

I am gay. There are untls tim I've heard homophobic chants and ments om supporters directed at no one particular. It was great last month to see Thomas Beattie raise his hand and adm to beg gay.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he was proud of Jake Daniels for beg the first active profsnal player to e out publicly as gay sce 1990, while Jack Grealish believ is a "massive step forward" Monday, 17-year-old Daniels told Sky Sports he felt now was the right time to tell his story at the end of a season where he sred more than 30 goals and ma his profsnal but the now hop to bee a role mol for other players to feel fortable enough to e out, if they want to, wh people across the football world and beyond showg their support for the teenager.

JAKE DANIELS BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY - REACTN

Manchter Cy's Jack Grealish prais Daniels' cisn to e out publicly as gay and says reprents a massive step forward for football. 'Football has a place for everyone'Daniels ced Alai Uned's Josh Cavallo, the only current top-flight male profsnal footballer to e out as gay, as an spiratn behd his cisn to speak out, a pot the Atralian said was a "wonrful feelg" after learng of the said: "As myself and Alai Uned prepare for the A-League Semi Fal, I want to stop and take a moment to acknowledge Jake's announcement and say how very proud I am for his bravery!

Daniels was spired by Matt Morton, a player-manager for nth-tier Thetford Town, before cidg to e out publicly after seeg his own story of beg an openly gay man Morton, who offered support to Daniels the months leadg up to his g out, says is the teenager who should be praised for the bravery he has shown this week. "He's a 17-year-old kid who's had the urage to e out on natnal televisn, havg jt signed a profsnal ntract, and announce to the world that he's gay. Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have praised Jake Daniels after the 17-year-old me out as gay, scribg his announcement as an important day the history of English football.

JOSH CAVALLO: ATRALIAN FOOTBALLER OUT AS GAY, SAYG: 'I'M TIRED OF THIS DOUBLE LIFE'

We have been drsg rooms for many, many years and that would seem like the unthkable to announce that you are gay.

JAKE DANIELS: ENGLAND'S ONLY OPENLY GAY ACTIVE FOOTBALLER REVEALS TOM DALEY SPIRED HIM TO E OUT

"I was on the PFA management mtee probably 15 to 20 years ago now whereby this was a major talkg pot, a major issue at management mtee meetgs that we did not have a player fortable enough to e out and say they were gay.

England Rugby head ach Eddie Jon praised Daniels and said he hoped uld provi an spiratn for gby unn, where there have been siarly few openly gay players. That has taken more than three s sce the last male profsnal footballer this untry felt fortable enough to do so suggts a ntug culture of homophobia football that is horrendoly out of step wh morn tim.

"The Commtee prevly lled for chang to the Football Offenc Act to make homophobic abe a crimal offence.

JT FASHANU'S NIECE: I HOPE GAY FOOTBALLER SET TO E OUT ISN'T A HOAX

However, homosexualy is illegal and punishable by ath the Gulf state where he will now play football. "Read more:Beg gay is 'damage the md', Qatar World Cup ambassador saysGary Leker says he knows two gay Premier League stars.

England's only out gay active profsnal footballer Jake Daniels has revealed that Olympic divg champn Tom Daley spired him to e out. Seventeen-year-old Blackpool forward Daniels, who publicly me out May, ma the cisn to open up about his sexualy after watchg Daley's Alternative Christmas Msage on Channel 4 last, one of the UK's most famo gay athlet, said if he had one wish for Christmas would be that "one player steps forward and says, 'I am gay'". Blackpool's Jake Daniels out as gayDaniels watched the clip "over and over aga" before takg the cisn to heed Daley's advice and now says is "one of the bt thgs I've ever done my life".

CZECH REPUBLIC FOOTBALLER JAKUB JANKTO OUT AS GAY

"In football, beg gay is a taboo - even now, " Daniels said Channel 4's Out and Proud documentary. I kept my head down when I heard homophobic banter the drsg room and slowly started gettg to me.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS' KEV MAXEN IS FIRST AMERIN MALE PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

"He spoke about homophobia sport and how amazg would be, what a difference would make if one brave player me out as gay. Daniels is the only openly gay profsnal footballer England.

"I am homosexual and I no longer want to hi myself. While women's football featur many proment LGBTQ+ players, 's still rare for profsnal male players to e out publicly as gay.

Josh Cavallo, who plays for Alai Uned Atralia, beme the only openly gay player a top men's league when he me out year, Jake Daniels of English Champnship club Blackpool beme the first active male profsnal player Bra to publicly say he's gay.

JT FASHANU: BRA'S FIRST OUT GAY FOOTBALLER TO BE DUCTED TO HALL OF FAME

Jt Fashanu, Bra's first and only out gay male profsnal footballer, is to be posthumoly ducted to the Natnal Football Mm's Hall of Fame later this week. Fashanu's niece Amal, who ns The Jt Fashanu Foundatn, will receive the award on what would have been her uncle's 59th Foundatn has been set up to highlight the issu of homophobia and other forms of discrimatn both grassroots football and the profsnal game, while also aimg to raise the participatn of LGBT people told Sky Sports News: "I thk he wouldn't believe himself.

'Rpect for out gay player would help'. Gay and clive club wants FA actn.