Read gay Premier League star's brave g out letter full as he opens up on daily anguish - Mirror Onle

Contents:

• IKER CASILLAS 'I'M GAY' TWEET: WHY WAS NO LGHG MATTER
• WHY THERE ARE STILL NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE
• READ GAY PREMIER LEAGUE STAR'S BRAVE G OUT LETTER FULL AS HE OPENS UP ON DAILY ANGUISH
• PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY RELATNSHIP AMID WORLD CUP NTROVERSY
• TOP 10 ATHLET WHO ARE RUMORED TO BE GAY
• 5 RUMORED GAY EPL PLAYERS: 4 ANNOUNCED THEIR HOMOSEXUALITY, #5 PLAYED FOR ARSENAL, #1 A NIGERIAN
• JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990
• GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE
• AT LEAST 20 FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPNSHIP ARE GAY BUT THEY'RE AAID TO E OUT SAYS EX-CLUB BOSS
• THE 39 CURRENT NFL PLAYERS HAVE ALL PLAYED WH AN OUT GAY TEAMMATE
• RUMOURS PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYER WAS GAY STOPPED HIS REER OM PROGRSG
• GARY LEKER SAYS HE KNOWS TWO GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS AND HOP THEY E OUT DURG QATAR WORLD CUPTHE FORMER ENGLAND STRIKER SAID THAT HE KNOW TWO GAY PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS WHO HAVE BEEN “VERY CLOSE” TO REVEALG THEIR SEXUALYBUZZBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSSPORTBYRUAIRI STT BYRNEDEPUTY EDOR17:51, 14 OCT 2022UPDATED15:31, 2 NOV 2022BOOKMARKGARY LEKER ATTENDS AN EVENG WH GARY LEKER, NVERSATN WH TIM MARLOW OBE, AT THE DIGN MM PARTNERSHIP WH THE WICK ON MAY 24, 2022 LONDON, ENGLAND (IMAGE: DAVID M. BET/DAVE BET/GETTY IMAG FOR THE DIGN MM)SIGN UP TO OUR EE EMAIL ALERTS FOR THE BT PROMOTNS SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR E-MAILMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 SIGN UP TO OUR EE EMAIL ALERTS FOR THE BT PROMOTNS SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR E-MAILINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!
• GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT WORLD CUP QATAR
• JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FORWARD BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY
• INTER MOURS “NAME” GAY FOOTBALL STAR
• 'BEG GAY WILL BE PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE FOOTBALL' - ENGLAND STAR COADY ON HIS FIRM STANCE AS AN OUTSPOKEN LGBT ALLY
• STTO’S LATT: TUCKER, GAY, SUMNER, NOEL

IKER CASILLAS 'I'M GAY' TWEET: WHY WAS NO LGHG MATTER

Casillas retired 2020 followg a reer that saw him w three Champns Leagu and five La Liga tl at Real MadridFor a uple of hours on Sunday lunchtime, Iker Casillas was the most famo gay footballer the world.

Two hours after the 'rpect me: I'm gay' post went up, Casillas leted - and replaced wh a new tweet, claimg he'd been hacked but that everythg was now " orr". Football referee Ryan Atk - who happens to be gay - acced the two men of "fuellg homophobia the game", sayg the pair need to "hang their head shame" Networkg group Sports Media LGBT+external-lk cricised both the "flippancy of the tweets… and the weak backtrack". You'd have to be aware of Lloyd Wilson and Josh Cavallo, and the bravery took both men to open up about their thentic selv a sport where gay and bisexual men have historilly been margalised.

WHY THERE ARE STILL NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE

And stirred up the worst elements of social media, who have spent the past 24 hours hurlg homophobic abe at those - myself clud - who pot out that there are real-world nsequenc to the words of Casillas and Puyol.

Nearly 25 years after Jt Fashanu took his own life, followg years of homophobic abe, Brish football still has not had another openly gay player the top flight. The armband was never much of a gture, but would have been a small act of fiance at the tournament beg award to Qatar, where homosexualy is punishable by imprisonment and some s, ath.

“Pathetic, ” said Blackpool forward Jake Daniels, the only out gay player the English league, on Instagram after hearg the news. Former footballer Clarke Carlisle, a proment spokman for player welfare, said eight Premier League players had told him they were gay. Consir the se of (heterosexual) Graeme Le Sx, who played for Chelsea and England the 1990s and 2000s and was brand “gay” for admtg he read The Guardian.

READ GAY PREMIER LEAGUE STAR'S BRAVE G OUT LETTER FULL AS HE OPENS UP ON DAILY ANGUISH

Fans tnted him wh homophobic chants and Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler famoly waggled his backsi at Le Sx durg a match. The clubs and the FA have ma efforts to improve the culture wh iativ such as Kick It Out, which mpaigns agast discrimatn and Football v Homophobia, backed by the FA, which offers support to fans, grassroots teams and top-level clubs.

PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY RELATNSHIP AMID WORLD CUP NTROVERSY

Read gay Premier League star's brave g out letter full as he opens up on daily anguishThe letter has been released by the Jt Fashanu Foundatn - who are supportg the player and have agreed for Mirror Football to publish the letter fullVio LoadgVio UnavailableTHOMAS BEATTIE HOPES FOR CULTURE CHANGE OVER DIFFERENT SEXUALITIES IN SPORTAn unnamed Premier League footballer has penned an open letter which he has revealed that he is gay - but is keepg his sexualy secret om his team-mat.

Now, has been revealed that two Premier League teammat are a gay an exclive story by The Sun, the two Premier League footballers are reportedly open about beg a gay relatnship, at least as far as the drsg room go. Earlier this month, the Qatari ambassador to the UK had warned same-sex upl not to kiss public if they will travel to watch the World, World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman ed outrage last week after sayg that beg gay is tantamount to havg "damage the md.

TOP 10 ATHLET WHO ARE RUMORED TO BE GAY

This is why the possibily of havg two active Premier League players speak up about beg gay is such an important topic for the LGBTQ+ muny at the moment.

There are mours about other gay players, but remas to be seen if they will e out publicly while still nversatns about the topic will surely ntue to the World Cup, pecially wh thoands of spectators flockg to Qatar to enjoy the event. Two Premier League players are a uple and have e out as gay to their teammat, but not yet, reports suggt the Premier League footballers qutn uld e out a documentary currently productn wh Channel follows Gary Leker recently claimg he was aware of two Premier League players who were thkg of g out as gay soon. The purpose of this list is to go a b more pth about some of the mors that are surroundg the players, not to nvce the rear that the athlet are gay.

In fact, as society is now much more open to people no matter their orientatn, we have seen a ton more athlet, both active and retired, e out and adm that they are homosexuals, and 's absolutely a great thg.

5 RUMORED GAY EPL PLAYERS: 4 ANNOUNCED THEIR HOMOSEXUALITY, #5 PLAYED FOR ARSENAL, #1 A NIGERIAN

This list will look at some of the most high profile exampl of pro athlet who have had mors about beg gay surroundg them, but aga, none of those are nfirmed and even if they were nfirmed, they would be somethg to celebrate.

His ex-wife has acced him of beg gay and that Dunn’s lover om llege actually lived wh them for the first few years of their marriage. Qutns about Aikman's sexual orientatn have been around for s and the mor was started by Skip Bayls, when, his book, he stated that Troy Aikman might be gay. Many people fd hard to believe that there are actually footballers who are Gay, and while some have e out openly others are still hidg behd closed doors.

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

Dpe the fact that he later nied a trendy way yet at the same time anyway vow his help to any player who might e out open as gay.

Norote player Richarlyson Barbosa Felisbo is a gay player and was brought up siar to a gay player by the chief of an opponent group. He later rerd a se which was upset by the appoted thory who said football is certifiably not a game for gay dividuals. Germany footballer Hzlsperger who is as of now ordatg football at VfB stuggart is the ma gay player the chief associatn who has opened up.

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

He has, be that as may, not straightforwardly nced yet the prev Manchter Uned goalkeeper took to a blog entry to vent his disappotment about the nonattendance of gay footballers the game.

The for Leeds and LA Galaxy wger followed Jt Fashanu's stris as he is the subsequent player at any pot to e out evintly as a gay footballer. Use this thread only to ment on 'known' players that are eher, bi, gay or have been known to try out wh another fella. There have been great leaps forward gettg racism kicked out of football; 's a shame there's still some knucklehead homophobia out there as well.

Some created by the papers last year Both nam that story wern't even gay eher, but that dont stop journos tryg to make money. Last week was a thread about the footballer wh the longt schlong the shower and now is which footballer is gay but not out! I remember when Dream Team did a storyle about a gay treatment he got was kd of hard to watch and probably only small pared to the real treatment gay people would get.

AT LEAST 20 FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPNSHIP ARE GAY BUT THEY'RE AAID TO E OUT SAYS EX-CLUB BOSS

In May 1998, he hanged himself a serted lock-up garage he had broken to, Shoredch, London, after visg Charts Roman Spa (a gay sna the area). Perhaps Im beg ialist, but I do thk if "john midfielr" me out then the fans would give him more slack for poor performanc bee they knew he were gay. A few years ago two England ternatnal footballers had to e out and clear the mors about them beg gay, first name was Ashley Cole and the later one is Le Shaw who plays for Manchter UnedThe history of gay footballers dat back to early 90’s although no top flight footballers has e out openly as gay their playg reer and thats largely down to the fear of managements, losg sponsors and the fear of fans first openly admted se of footballer beg gay dat back to 1990 when Jt Fashanu announced his homosexualy, which did not go too well for his reer and he ultimately took his own life 8 years later 1998.

Jt Fashanu:Public Admissn: YESJt Fashanu was the still the only footballer to have e out openly as gay and that was way back 1990, he played for Norwich, Nottgham Fort and Southampton along wh 15 other clubs england and stralia.

THE 39 CURRENT NFL PLAYERS HAVE ALL PLAYED WH AN OUT GAY TEAMMATE

2) Thomas Hzlsperger:Public Admissn: YESKnown as “The hammer” by the Villa fans for havg a adly left foot, German Internatnal Thomas Hzlsperger me out as gay January 2014 after he retired om profsnal football at the age of is currently the Sportg director at German club Stuttgart3) Liam DavisPublic Admissn: YSemi Profsnal Football Liam Davis played lower leagu of english football and he me out openly as gay 2010 but suffered massive abe om the started his reer wh ventry cy. Liam Davis spoke wh BBC Sports on the stggl of beg openly footballer english football the abe of fans and why closet gay footballers are aaid to e out. Rodgers announced his homosexualy 2012 and soon retired om he has reversed his cisn and now currently playg wh amerin si LA Galaxy.

Another top player who played for two of the biggt London clubs premier league, Arsenal and Tottenham Sol Campbell was abed throughout his reer for beg a “closet homosexual” but he has nied the allegatns for so long. In a recently terview Campbell rells that sports giants “Puma” were lookg to endorse the very first openly gay footballer and they mistakenly ntact him but the al did not went through as he told them that he is not also revealed why mors started circulatg about him beg homosexual, one of the big one was that he did not brg his girliends to match or special team dners which lead to stori about him.

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.

RUMOURS PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYER WAS GAY STOPPED HIS REER OM PROGRSG

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”.

At least 20 footballers Premier League and Champnship are gay but they're aaid to e out says ex-club bossOpenly gay Leeds Uned director David Haigh says players nfid him - and he believ clubs uld benef mercially if stars e outDavid Haigh durg his time at Leeds UnedAt least 20 football stars are gay and “aaid” to e out, a top club’s ex-director claims. He spoke out after Belgium fenr Carl Hoefkens told how he had played wh two Premier League footballers who were gay but publicly ‘ the closet’. Dad-of-two Hoefkens, 39, who played for Stoke and Wt Brom om, told Belgian newspaper De Zondag: “I played alongsi three gay footballers, cludg one who was a genuely big name.

GARY LEKER SAYS HE KNOWS TWO GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS AND HOP THEY E OUT DURG QATAR WORLD CUPTHE FORMER ENGLAND STRIKER SAID THAT HE KNOW TWO GAY PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS WHO HAVE BEEN “VERY CLOSE” TO REVEALG THEIR SEXUALYBUZZBOOKMARKSHARECOMMENTSSPORTBYRUAIRI STT BYRNEDEPUTY EDOR17:51, 14 OCT 2022UPDATED15:31, 2 NOV 2022BOOKMARKGARY LEKER ATTENDS AN EVENG WH GARY LEKER, NVERSATN WH TIM MARLOW OBE, AT THE DIGN MM PARTNERSHIP WH THE WICK ON MAY 24, 2022 LONDON, ENGLAND (IMAGE: DAVID M. BET/DAVE BET/GETTY IMAG FOR THE DIGN MM)SIGN UP TO OUR EE EMAIL ALERTS FOR THE BT PROMOTNS SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR E-MAILMORE NEWSLETTERS SUBSCRIBEINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.MORE NEWSLETTERSWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!WE HAVE MORE NEWSLETTERSSHOW ME SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE SEE OURPRIVACY NOTICE&TIM;GROUP 28 SIGN UP TO OUR EE EMAIL ALERTS FOR THE BT PROMOTNS SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR E-MAILINVALID EMAILSOMETHG WENT WRONG, PLEASE TRY AGA LATER.SIGN UPNO THANKS, CLOSEWE E YOUR SIGN-UP TO PROVI NTENT WAYS YOU’VE NSENTED TO AND IMPROVE OUR UNRSTANDG OF YOU. THIS MAY CLU ADVERTS OM AND THIRD PARTI BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOU. MORE &TIM;GROUP 28THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBG!

” Mr Haigh was ntacted by gay players om different top flight clubs, but adms was difficult for them to go public about their sexualy. Dpe Outsports chroniclg lerally dozens of piec of evince to the ntrary, there’s a ntued belief amongst some that NFL players would overwhelmgly reject a gay player if he me out. The 39 current NFL players have played wh at least five gay or bisexual men who were out to their team while they were on the same team.

At least six of the players on the Cardals’ 2020 roster — about 10% of the team, — has already had a gay teammate they knew of. Wh that experience, solid veteran learship, a ach Kliff Kgsbury who has ld gay football player Stt Frantz, and a ont office that has monstrated an embrace of LGBTQ people, is easy to make the se that an out gay player wh the Cardals would be weled. The are the current NFL players to have played wh an out gay or bi man on their team (wh that team and their current team listed):.

GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT WORLD CUP QATAR

If you thk I’ve missed a current NFL player who’s played wh an out gay or bi teammate, be sure to leave the rmatn the ments below. He thought he was on track to make as an ternatnal footballer, but “ridiculo gay mours” began to circulate followg a near-fatal stabbg by his wife. Gary Leker says he hop a Premier League player will e out as gay durg the Qatar World Cup to send a strong msage to a host natn where homosexualy remas a crime.

The Former England striker told the Daily Mirror he knows two gay Premier League players who have been “very close” to g out. ” Last year, Alai Uned’s Josh Cavallo me out as gay and said that he knows there are other players “livg silence”, while May, 17-year-old Blackpool player Jake Daniels beme the UK’s first profsnal male football player to e out as gay sce Jt Fashanu 1990. Background Former Norwich Cy and Nottgham Fort player Jt Fashanu beme the first openly gay male Brish footballer when he me out an terview wh The Sun 1990.

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

In 2018, then-Mnota Uned FC player Coll Mart announced he is gay, beg at the time the world’s only current openly gay, active male profsnal footballer. Hzlsperger, who enjoyed stts wh Wt Ham Uned and Aston Villa, revealed he is gay January 2014, a few months after retirg bee of jury problems. The world’s only openly gay top‑flight men’s footballer says he would be “sred” to play at the World Cup tournament Qatar next year bee of the emirate’s harsh ban on homosexualy and legal penalti rangg om floggg to lengthy prison terms and Cavallo, 21, who plays for Alai Uned Atralia’s A-League, received a wave of support om football fans and current and former players last month after openg up about his sexualy a vio posted to the club’s social media feeds.

”The announcement ma Cavallo the only out gay player men’s profsnal football, his isolatn stark a sport whose admistrators have lnched high-profile public mpaigns recent years embracg LGBT fans and only a handful of male players have ever e out, ntrast to the women’s game, which has easily blown past the same barrier: more than 40 lbian or bisexual players took part the 2019 women’s World Cup France, acrdg to Fifa. Crics have raised the fact that Fifa ntu to award World Cups to untri such as Rsia – where homophobia has been lled a “state‑sponsored” project – and Qatar, where same-sex acts are illegal, as evince of the erng body’s patchy mment to if holdg the tournament a untry wh strict penalti for homosexualy sent the wrong msage to gay footballers and fans, Cavallo, who has played for Atralia’s unr-20s ternatnal si, told the Guardian’s daily news podst that he would be aaid for his safety if asked to participate the 2022 Qatar World Cup. 'I'm a footballer and I'm gay': A-League player Josh Cavallo talks about his sexualy – vio“I read somethg along the l of that [they] give the ath penalty for gay people Qatar, so ’s somethg I’m very sred [of] and wouldn’t really want to go to Qatar for that, ” he said.

At the end of the day the World Cup is Qatar and one of the greatt achievements as a profsnal footballer is to play for your untry, and to know that this is a untry that don’t support gay people and puts at risk of our own life, that do sre me and mak me re-evaluate – is my life more important than dog somethg really good my reer? Mlims the untry n be subject to Sharia law that bans any sexual activy outsi marriage wh punishments rangg up to the ath penalty, meang homosexual acts n technilly rult executn, though several human rights reports have said there is no evince any gay people have been executed for the offence. ”Along wh the appallg ndns for migrant workers buildg the astcture for the tournament, the prospect of gay fans or players beg arrted Qatar has dogged Fifa sce the emirate was announced as host of the tournament 2010.

INTER MOURS “NAME” GAY FOOTBALL STAR

The anisatn’s then print, Sepp Blatter, fuelled the ntroversy the same year when he was asked if he had any advice for gay people who wanted to travel to the Gulf state for the petn. But they walk a fe le between acmodatg what are now mastream attus towards gay people much of the world and the untry’s own nservative relig the tournament has approached, Qatari officials have sought to reassure LGBT fans that they will be wele the untry and n exprs themselv – wh lims. ”Prsed at the time over how Qataris would react to a gay uple holdg hands, Khater said they would be treated the same as a heterosexual uple.

"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.

'BEG GAY WILL BE PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE FOOTBALL' - ENGLAND STAR COADY ON HIS FIRM STANCE AS AN OUTSPOKEN LGBT ALLY

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.

"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. Earlier this year, the Wolv pta was named Football Ally of the Year at the Brish LGBT Awards, and tells GOAL why equaly means so much to himA favoure topic for social media gossips, football mour-mongers and shock jock punds is when a Premier League player will e out as gay, and who might Conor Coady, however, is not a topic for salac bate – and he wants to change and challenge that attu. Enterg the bet365 promo 365GOAL at sign-up allows you to claim their excellent new ctomer bonEarlier this year, Coady was named Football Ally of the Year at the Brish LGBT Awards, wng a public vote ahead of notable nam cludg Jordan Henrson, Jurgen Klopp and Gary Leker, followg his volvement a Rabow Lac event which he directly stated any player stgglg wh their sexualy or inty should feel they have a nfidante is a mment the England ternatnal and Wolv pta forcefully and repeatedly mak  an exclive chat wh GOAL, and says while there may be negativy outsi the drsg room about gay footballers, si would simply be a non-issue and is somethg he, and his team-mat, are wag to celebrate.

STTO’S LATT: TUCKER, GAY, SUMNER, NOEL

Men's football is somethg of an outlier world sport by havg no major players or figur at the top of the game who are out publicly as LGBT, although Alai Uned star Josh Cavallo provid a bean October when he beme the only current top-level male profsnal footballer the world to e out as Cavallo uld help others feel more fortable to be themselv the game, the list of footballers the UK who have felt fortable g out as gay durg their playg reer is particularly top flight footballer Jt Fashanu me out 1990 while still playg, but remas the only Brish player to do so. "One thg Coady is clear on is that a gay footballer should not only be supported if he plays well – and that any downturn form should not open the door for homophobic cricism or of the qualified support om punds has been predited on the ia that any gay footballer would be backed by their team-mat as long as performanc on the pch are mataed, while Coll Mart, who plays for USL Champnship si San Diego Loyal, admted last year to GOAL that his form suffered after g out due to the prsure placed upon says: "That to me is wrong, every sgle one of go through a downturn form at some pot our reers, more than once, so that is somethg I don't agree wh at all. "Getty/GoalWhile English men's football still treats homosexualy as somethg of a taboo subject, the women's game – notably the Women's Super League – featur untls exampl of LGBT stars at the height of their playg reer, om Pernille Harr to Sam Coady, this normaly is exactly what should be aimed for – and the sistence om some quarters that would be impossible due to the larger foc and verage of the men's game is a source of genue annoyance for him and other alli wh football.

Free agent forward Rudy Gay, who was recently released by the Thunr, is drawg tert om several potential playoff teams, acrdg to Stto. Gay will be 37 by the time next season starts and while his role has dimished each of the past three seasons, he’s still a seasoned veteran wh 17 years of NBA experience.

Each team lked to Gay has at least one roster spot open and uld offer him a one-year, veteran’s mimum which, for a player wh 10+ years of experience, is worth roughly $3.