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

Contents:

• JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990
• JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FORWARD BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY
• 17-YEAR-OLD SOCCER PLAYER OUT, BEG THE UK'S ONLY OPENLY GAY PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER
• GIANT MURAL ON NORWICH PUB HONOURS JT FASHANU, ENGLAND'S FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER
• GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE
• A-LEAGUE FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY: 'I'M TIRED OF THIS DOUBLE LIFE'
• 17-YEAR-OLD IS FIRST ACTIVE UK PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY S
• JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FOOTBALLER, 17, OUT, BEG ONLY OPENLY GAY MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER BRA
• UNNAMED PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER REVEALS HE IS GAY LETTER BUT SAYS HE N'T GO PUBLIC
• 8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY

JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990

The Blackpool forward Jake Daniels has end s of silence wh men’s football to bee the first player the UK to e out as gay sce Jt Fashanu 1990. Photograph: Pl Dennis/TGS Photo/ShutterstockDaniels’s revelatn is a strikg landmark that when men’s football is more engaged wh social issu than any recent time, but still unable to ce progrs LGBTQ reprentatn wh the year Alai Uned’s Josh Cavallo beme the only male top-flight profsnal footballer the world to e out as gay, but others are yet to follow. In six months the men’s World Cup will be played Qatar, where homosexualy is illegal, and Cavallo revealed to the Guardian he would be “sred” to play at the tournament, the pnacle of world English football specifilly, the shadow of the talented and unfulfilled Fashanu still lgers over the game.

JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FORWARD BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY

The England ternatnal me out at the end of his reer and was to take his own life eight years later, Fashanu, Jt’s niece, who ns a charable foundatn his name, said that Daniels’s cisn would “e as a huge fort to the many footballers at all levels of the game still secretly livg as gay and who still feel unable to e out”. "Blackpool forward Jake Daniels speaks exclively on beg the UK's first male profsnal footballer to e out publicly as gay sce Jt talks about g out to his parents, his club, and his team-mat.

17-YEAR-OLD SOCCER PLAYER OUT, BEG THE UK'S ONLY OPENLY GAY PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER

I n't really put a date on , but I was probably five or six years old when I knew I was gay. Zanr Murray signs for Bonnyrigg Rose to bee only openly gay player SPFL. Jake Daniels: England's only openly gay active footballer reveals Tom Daley spired him to e out.

GIANT MURAL ON NORWICH PUB HONOURS JT FASHANU, ENGLAND'S FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER

Jt Fashanu: LGBTQ+ Norwich fan group raisg money to stall statue of first openly gay footballer. At that age you don't really thk that football and beg gay don't mix. In school people even ed to ask me: "Are you sure you aren't gay?

It's been subject of beg gay, or bi or queer men's football is still a taboo. And people see beg gay as beg weak, somethg you n be picked on for on the football field.

Of urse I am aware that there will be a reactn to this and some of will be homophobic, maybe a stadium and on social 's an easy thg for people to target. Football v Homophobia: "Football v Homophobia would like to ngratulate Jake on takg this step to share his thentic self the men's profsnal game, pecially at such a young age.

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

"There have prevly been players who felt that they had no place the game as out gay men durg their playg reers, but Jake is showg the world that you n be yourself. To e out publicly as the first openly gay player men's profsnal football the UK the last 30 years tak urage. Jake Daniels, 17, me out as gay on Monday.

The Blackpool FC forward is now the only openly gay, active profsnal soccer player the UK. Jake Daniels, a forward for England's Blackpool Football Club, me out as gay on Monday, beg the UK's only active profsnal soccer player and first to e out 30 years. "I've known my whole life that I'm gay, and I now feel that I'm ready to e out and be myself.

A-LEAGUE FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY: 'I'M TIRED OF THIS DOUBLE LIFE'

Fashanu died 1998 aged year, the fensive end Carl Nassib me out as gay, beg the first openly gay man to actively play the NFL.

17-YEAR-OLD IS FIRST ACTIVE UK PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY S

A giant mural of England's first openly gay footballer has been unveiled on the si of a Fashanu remas the only male profsnal player to nfirm he was homosexual - amid fears he would be "outed" by a natnal newspaper 1990 - and was ducted to the footballg Hall of Fame spe now beg seen as an spiratn the fight agast homophobia and discrimatn sport, the proud Canary took his own life 1998 - wrg his suici note that beg gay and a personaly was "so hard" former Norwich Cy striker, who beme the UK's first black £1m player when he was sold to Nottgham Fort, ntu to be seen as a legend at the Norfolk Champnship "wonr strike" agast Liverpool at Carrow Road 1980 went on to w Match of the Day's goal of the season now his face has taken pri of place on the si of a Canari supporters pub. A mural of former Norwich Cy player Jt Fashanu, England's first openly gay footballer, has appeared on the Fat Cat and Canary. Great player, sred an amazg goal, the first £1m black player, me out as gay, " he said.

There was a lot of homophobia the prs and media and he was hound for the fact that he me out as beg gay. A-League midfielr Josh Cavallo has e out as gay, beg the only known current male top-flight profsnal footballer the world to be out. "I'm a footballer and I'm gay, " the 21-year-old said an emotnal vio posted on Alai Uned's social media.

JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FOOTBALLER, 17, OUT, BEG ONLY OPENLY GAY MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER BRA

"Cavallo is the first active gay profsnal footballer to e out Atralia's top-flight, sayg he was done wh feelg "ashamed" about his add: "I'm tired of tryg to perform at the bt of your abily and to live this double life, 's exhstg. Ashamed I would never be able to do what I loved and be gay.

"Beg a gay closeted footballer, I've had to learn to mask my feelgs orr to f the mould of a profsnal footballer. Growg up beg gay and playg football were jt two worlds that hadn't crossed paths before. "Few ele male footballers have e out as gay durg their Aston Villa, Wt Ham, and Everton player Thomas Hzlsperger waed until the year after he retired 2013 before g out Leeds Uned player Robbie Rogers me out while ially announcg his retirement Febary 2013 shortly after beg released, before returng wh LA Galaxy and wng the MLS Cup to bee the first openly gay male athlete to w a major profsnal team sports tle the Uned Brennan beme the first former A-League player to e out May 2019 when the ex-Newstle Jet was still playg a lower Mart, an out gay male profsnal footballer who plays for San Diego Loyal the USL, gave his support for Cavallo on social media.

Cavallo said Thomas Beattie, a former youth player for English club Hull Cy who me out 2020, had been a "role mol" helpg him on his journey and hoped their example might help change thgs for other young gay men sport. "Statistics show only 33% of young gay men play football parison to 68% of young straight men, " he said.

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

"It is astonishg to know that there are currently no gay profsnal footballers who are out and actively playg, not only Atralia, but around the world. Jake Daniels, a 17-year-old forward for Blackpool FC England’s send tier, publicly me out as gay Monday a statement released by the club.

“I’ve known my whole life that I’m gay, and I now feel that I’m ready to e out and be myself. “To e out publicly as the first openly gay player men’s profsnal football the UK the last 30 years tak urage. 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.

8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS 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.