At least 20 footballers Premier League and Champnship are gay but they're aaid to e out says ex-club boss - Mirror Onle

Contents:

• JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990
• AT LEAST 20 FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPNSHIP ARE GAY BUT THEY'RE AAID TO E OUT SAYS EX-CLUB BOSS
• 17-YEAR-OLD SOCCER PLAYER OUT, BEG THE UK'S ONLY OPENLY GAY PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER
• NFL ACH OUT AS GAY HISTORIC MOMENT AMERIN SPORTS
• GIANT MURAL ON NORWICH PUB HONOURS JT FASHANU, ENGLAND'S FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER
• OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER JAKE DANIELS, 18, MET ‘SOULMATE’ MARK, 46, AFTER HE SLID TO HIS DMS WHEN HE ME OUT
• IAN MCKELLEN, PRCE WILLIAM AND MORE JO CHOS OF PRAISE FOR GAY FOOTBALLER JAKE DANIELS
• UK MISTER CRICISED OVER LL FOR GAY WORLD CUP FANS TO SHOW RPECT QATAR

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. 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.

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

He was openly gay durg a spell as Leeds Uned MD 2013-14 and says many homosexual players nfid him as a rult. “Young stars advertise brands wh sponsors and beg gay is still seen as a handip. Amerin player Robbie Rogers me out as gay.

“I also thk supportg gay players would be very beneficial to a club mercially.

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’.

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

Mr Haigh was openly gay wh board members and fans at Elland Road, and says many gay players nfid him as a rult. “My figure on the number of gay players is probably a gross unr timate.

Some top stars are open about beg gay wh team mat, but feel too sred to tell their fans, Mr Haigh claims. “They go to gay bars and they do not hi their partners.

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.

NFL ACH OUT AS GAY HISTORIC MOMENT AMERIN SPORTS

” Mr Haigh was ntacted by gay players om different top flight clubs, but adms was difficult for them to go public about their sexualy. “Beg gay is still seen as a handip and players get enough abe on the pch as is. Robbie Rogers of the USA has e out as gay.

“I don’t thk gay footballers would face a terrible time today, ” he said.

” But he do believe certa untri ‘own upon’ gay relatnships and so club ownership, and sponsors, uld be a problem. And he add: “I thk supportg gay players would be very beneficial om a mercial perspective.

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

” There are 4, 000 profsnal footballers the UK, but not one is openly gay. 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.

OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER JAKE DANIELS, 18, MET ‘SOULMATE’ MARK, 46, AFTER HE SLID TO HIS DMS WHEN HE ME OUT

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.

IAN MCKELLEN, PRCE WILLIAM AND MORE JO CHOS OF PRAISE FOR GAY FOOTBALLER JAKE DANIELS

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. Image source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Jt Fashanu was brought up by foster parents a village near Attleborough Norfolk and signed for Norwich Cy aged 17Exactly 30 years ago, footballer Jt Fashanu h the headl as the first profsnal player to e out as gay. Growg up foster re Norfolk alongsi his footballer brother John, he had risen through Norwich Cy's youth majtic strike agast Liverpool 1980 was Match of the Day's Goal of the Season, cementg his legendary stat among Canari ptn, Jt Fashanu's subdued goal celebratn saw him raise his x fger before beg hugged by team-matThen, 1990, Fashanu stunned the football world when he told a newspaper he was gay.

Welsh gby unn star Gareth Thomas me out 2009, and ex-footballers Thomas Beattie and Robbie Rogers went public about their sexualy after leavg the to be a gay footballer the ele leagu was still a "major issue", she said. "It's always been that powerful, secretive, dark world where there's no place for anyone weaker and a lot of people see if you're gay, you'd be weaker.

UK MISTER CRICISED OVER LL FOR GAY WORLD CUP FANS TO SHOW RPECT QATAR

"Focg on the absence of openly gay and bi male profsnal football players often adds more prsure to what is already a high-strs environment. Would change your life forever to be remembered as only the send gay top-flight footballer the world.

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.

Kev Maxen, a strength ach for the NFL anchise the Jacksonville Jaguars, has publicly e out as gay a landmark moment Amerin men's profsnal sportsJacksonville Jaguars strength ach Kev Maxen (R) has publicly e out as gayJacksonville Jaguars ach Kev Maxen has ma history by beg the first active NFL ach to publicly e out as gay. Last June, Carl Nassib ma history by beg the first active NFL player to e out as gay a brave statement.