Graeme Souns explas why there are no openly gay footballers the Premier League and reveals tnal vis to Brighton Pri para | talkSPORT

Contents:

• WHY THERE ARE STILL NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE
• GRAEME SOUNS EXPLAS WHY THERE ARE NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND REVEALS TNAL VIS TO BRIGHTON PRI PARA
• JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990
• 8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY
• PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY RELATNSHIP AMID WORLD CUP NTROVERSY
• 17-YEAR-OLD SOCCER PLAYER OUT, BEG THE UK'S ONLY OPENLY GAY PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER
• GAY FOOTBALLER EXPLAS WHY PREMIER LEAGUE STARS AREN’T G OUT - EXCLUSIVE
• AT LEAST 20 FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPNSHIP ARE GAY BUT THEY'RE AAID TO E OUT SAYS EX-CLUB BOSS
• BRISH PREMIER LEAGUE PTA SAYS THERE’S ‘PROBABLY’ AT LEAST ONE GAY OR BI PLAYER ON EVERY TEAM
• GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE
• THERE ARE GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS WHO HAVE E OUT TO TEAMMAT BUT FEAR HOMOPHOBIC BACKLASH OM FANS, SAYS SIR
• TWO PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS ' RELATNSHIP' AND OPEN WH TEAMMAT ABOUT BEG GAY
• 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!
• UNNAMED PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER REVEALS HE IS GAY LETTER BUT SAYS HE N'T GO PUBLIC
• JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FORWARD BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY
• EVRA: THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO GAY PLAYERS AT EVERY FOOTBALL CLUB
• JOSH CAVALLO: ONLY OPENLY GAY TOP-FLIGHT MALE FOOTBALLER SAYS FIFA’S ‘ONELOVE’ ARMBAND BAN HAS MA HIM FEEL ‘EXCLUD’

WHY THERE ARE STILL NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Fifa’s U-turn over the OneLove armband this week reflects a wir lack of support for gay players Brish football. 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.

It was 32 years ago that Fashanu me out as the first openly gay profsnal footballer.

GRAEME SOUNS EXPLAS WHY THERE ARE NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND REVEALS TNAL VIS TO BRIGHTON PRI PARA

Sce Fashanu’s ath, there have been untls iativ to stamp out homophobia the stands and support gay footballers. Former footballer Clarke Carlisle, a proment spokman for player welfare, said eight Premier League players had told him they were gay. Yet none the Premier League are out, and Daniels is the only out gay player the English league.

“Football is a socially nservative world, ” says Ross Rais, whose novel, A Natural, is about a gay footballer. 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.

Fans tnted him wh homophobic chants and Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler famoly waggled his backsi at Le Sx durg a match.

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

This week, Fifa is vtigatg the Ecuadorean fans over allegatns of homophobic chantg. 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.

Blackpool forward Jake Daniels is the only openly gay player the English league.

Even where men’s sport has had one or two high-profile gay players, as wh Gareth Thomas gby unn, they rema outliers. HONEST Graeme Souns explas why there are no openly gay footballers the Premier League and reveals tnal vis to Brighton Pri paraPublished: 9:44, 9 Dec 2019Graeme Souns believ football has created an ‘unfortable environment’ for gay players. Former Wt Ham and Aston Villa midfielr Thomas Hzlsperger beme the first openly gay Premier League player - but he only me out 2014, a year after retirg om the game.

8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY

"There mt be gay and bisexual players the Premier League but nobody has felt nfint enough to say 'this is me'. The European Cup-wng midfielr ma his name playg the 70s and 80s, s durg which racism and homophobia were rife. 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”. But tak guts to e out and reveal one’s genr as gay, which is ually an act of urage a world that is not ndned to accept every genr. Seventeen male footballers have urageoly revealed their sexualy as gay public so far.

PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY RELATNSHIP AMID WORLD CUP NTROVERSY

Even though has already been three s sce Jt Fashanu first publicly me out as gay, there are only a few of them revealg . The primary reason behd many gay footballers not revealg their sexualy publicly is fear of homophobia on and off the pch.

So, many profsnal leagu, teams, and players are raisg their voic to fight back agast homophobia so that gay footballers don’t face backlash while g out.

Now, whout any further ado, let’s list the football players who dared to e out as gay publicly.

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

Moreover, Andy Brennan is the first Atralian male footballer to openly disclosed beg gay. Currently, he is the only openly gay football player to play any of the Amerin top 5 major leagu.

In 2020, durg the San Diego Loyal match agast Phoneix Risg FC, Mart released a story of homophobic sults directed toward him. One of the hight-profile male football players publicly clarg himself as gay is German footballer Thomas Hzlsperger.

In January 2014, Hzlsperger me out as gay while terviewg Die Ze, a German newspaper.

GAY FOOTBALLER EXPLAS WHY PREMIER LEAGUE STARS AREN’T G OUT - EXCLUSIVE

His fellow German players supported his cisn to announce himself as gay publicly.

Later, after wng the 2014 MLS Cup, Rodgers also beme the first gay male to w the league tle the USA.

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

In November 2011, an terview wh Canadian broadster Rad Canada, Tto me out as gay. Moreover, David Tto is the first profsnal Amerin male profsnal footballer to e out as gay. In 2019, he was also featured a documentary related to homophobia sports named Standg on the Le.

Tto is a You Can Play mpaign advisory group fightg to elimate homophobia the sportg world.

Anton Hysen is the youngt son of retired Swedish footballer Glenn Hysen and one of the gay players football. Later, he was profiled on Swedish broadstg channel TV4 March 2011 a bate show (Can gays play football too?

BRISH PREMIER LEAGUE PTA SAYS THERE’S ‘PROBABLY’ AT LEAST ONE GAY OR BI PLAYER ON EVERY TEAM

Likewise, he also participated the 7th edn of the realy TV show Lets Dance and beme the first-ever gay to w the ntt. The documentary Rise Above is a film on Anton Hysen released 2013 to portray his story as gay. But as one of the gay players football, Rouyer is dog his bt to fight homophobia France.

In 1990, Jt broke the barrier the footballg World when he clared himself gay publicly the newspaper. Later, on 22nd October 1990, The Sun Tabloid newspaper published the headle “£1m Football Star: I AM GAY”. After his ath, The Pk Paper ranked Jt Fashanu the 99th spot the Top 500 Lbian and Gay Hero.

Likewise, The Jt Fashanu All-stars football special event started Brighton to honor him and promote homosexualy football. In June 2020, former profsnal footballer Tomas Beattie me out as gay durg an Amerin sports channel ESPN terview. Furthermore, he is one of the send Brish football players to publicly e out as gay after Jt Fashanu did 30 years ago.

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

Siarly, Richarlyson Barbossa Felisbo om Brazil also revealed his genr as gay openly. The above list of players plet our list of 8 footballers who dared to e out as gay. Although there are more than 17 gay footballers, they are aaid of g out publicly.

Therefore, a suable environment should be created through tn as a drivg factor, so gay footballers don’t feel prsured to reveal their sexualy. This is a hot topic particularly bee the host natn, Qatar, is known to crimalise homosexual relatns.

THERE ARE GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS WHO HAVE E OUT TO TEAMMAT BUT FEAR HOMOPHOBIC BACKLASH OM FANS, SAYS SIR

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.

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.

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.

TWO PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS ' RELATNSHIP' AND OPEN WH TEAMMAT ABOUT BEG GAY

Last year, the fensive end Carl Nassib me out as gay, beg the first openly gay man to actively play the NFL. EXCLUSIVE: Coll Mart has opened up on the barriers that may be stoppg gay players the Premier League om publicly g out. 07:30, Mon, Dec 26, 2022 | UPDATED: 19:29, Mon, Dec 26, 2022 Premier League returns: Arsenal's mid-season reviewSan Diego Loyal midfielr Coll Mart believ that a number of prsg factors may be preventg gay Premier League players om g out and feelg fortable about beg themselv the public eye.

There are currently no openly gay players England's top flight, although Blackpool youngster Jake Daniels beme the first male profsnal footballer the UK sce Jt Fashanu to e out back of progrs has been ma regardg homosexualy football over the last few years, but the subject remas somewhat taboo and there is still work to be done orr to ntue breakg down the stigma at all levels om the Premier League down to grassroots.

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!

Mart, who me out as gay back 2018, believ that almost anythg n ntribute to players not wantg to publicly reveal their sexuali, cludg their fay suatns, the advice given by their reprentativ or negative attus om team-mat and ach. JUST IN: Chelsea target Yosoufa Mooko issu fur rponse to 'li'Coll Mart has opened up on the barriers preventg gay players om g out (Image: GETTY)"We don’t always know the factors for gay athlet, what’s gog to keep them the closet or not. More There are no openly gay players the Premier League as thgs stand (Image: EXPRESS)"Yeah, I’m sure [there are], maybe there are players who are qutng their sexualy or who are maybe bisexual and yeah, I’m sure there are closeted players, " add Mart.

"Coll Mart, San Diego Loyal soccer player, who me out as gay 2018, has partnered wh BonFr and LGBT HERO to unrstand reprentatn and attus towards the LGBTQIA+ muny US profsnal team sports. 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.

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

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.

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’.

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

Mr Haigh was openly gay wh board members and fans at Elland Road, and says many gay players nfid him as a rult.

EVRA: THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO GAY PLAYERS AT EVERY FOOTBALL CLUB

Some top stars are open about beg gay wh team mat, but feel too sred to tell their fans, Mr Haigh claims.

JOSH CAVALLO: ONLY OPENLY GAY TOP-FLIGHT MALE FOOTBALLER SAYS FIFA’S ‘ONELOVE’ ARMBAND BAN HAS MA HIM FEEL ‘EXCLUD’

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. ” 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.