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

Contents:

• JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990
• PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY RELATNSHIP AMID WORLD CUP NTROVERSY
• AT LEAST 20 FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPNSHIP ARE GAY BUT THEY'RE AAID TO E OUT SAYS EX-CLUB BOSS
• HERE ARE EIGHT OUT AND PROUD MALE GAY FOOTBALLERS
• GIANT MURAL ON NORWICH PUB HONOURS JT FASHANU, ENGLAND'S FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER
• EX-ENGLAND AND PREMIER LEAGUE STAR 'NSIRG' G OUT AS GAY ON TV DOCUMENTARY
• WHO ARE THE ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP GAY FOOTBALLERS?
• JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FOOTBALLER OUT AS GAY
• FOOTBALLERS HAVE E OUT AS GAY TO TEAMMAT BUT FEAR PUBLIC BACKLASH, SAYS ENI ALO
• 17-YEAR-OLD SOCCER PLAYER OUT, BEG THE UK'S ONLY OPENLY GAY PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER
• GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT WORLD CUP QATAR
• GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE
• JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FOOTBALLER, 17, OUT, BEG ONLY OPENLY GAY MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER BRA
• GAY FOOTBALLERS: FA AND THREE-BIG NAME STARS TALKS TO PUBLICLY REVEAL THEIR SEXUALY, ACRDG TO JOHN NILSON MP
• GRAEME SOUNS EXPLAS WHY THERE ARE NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND REVEALS TNAL VIS TO BRIGHTON PRI PARA
• TWO TOP GAY FOOTBALLERS STAY CLOSET
• 8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY
• WHY ARE THERE NO OUT GAY FOOTBALLERS?

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.

PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS OPENLY GAY RELATNSHIP AMID WORLD CUP NTROVERSY

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”.

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. 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’.

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

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.

However, there have been several pneerg male gay footballers who cid to e out of the closet and proclaim their sexualy to the world. The South Ain player acknowledg that most of his teammat accepted his sexualy, however, he has faced homophobic slurs om opposg teams. I don’t wish the hostily I felt on anyone, bee not everyone n survive homophobia a sport like football, ” he told MambaOnle recently.

HERE ARE EIGHT OUT AND PROUD MALE GAY FOOTBALLERS

The Atralian plays for Alai Uned Football Club and has been the victim of shameful homophobic abe om game-goers and on social media.

In May 2022, Jake Daniels me out at the age of 17  an open letter on the Blackpool Football Club’s webse, beg at that time the UK’s only openly gay active male profsnal footballer. He also acknowledged that “beg gay, or bi or queer men’s football is still a taboo” and that he is likely to face some gree of homophobia the sport. After stgglg wh his sexualy for years, he me as gay September 2022, makg him the first openly gay player Sttish football sce Jt Fashanu.

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

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. Image source, Andy Trigg/BBCImage ptn, The mural took the graffi artist eight hours to pleteA mural of Jt Fashanu, the first profsnal football player to e out as gay, has been pated on the si of a pub Norwich. Fashanu grew up Norfolk and signed for Norwich the late source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Former Norwich Cy striker Jt Fashanu me out as gay 1990 while still playg profsnal football"He means a lot to a lot of people, pecially Norfolk, " said Christian Hodgkson, landlord of the Fat Cat and Canary on Thorpe Road, close to the cy centre stadium.

EX-ENGLAND AND PREMIER LEAGUE STAR 'NSIRG' G OUT AS GAY ON TV DOCUMENTARY

The programme is reportedly the works and would foc on the stori of gay profsnal footballers om the past and prent and let them tell their storiThe former Premier League star has been talks wh producers over potentially featurg a documentary about gay footballers A former England ternatnal and Premier League star is reportedly ' talks' wh televisn producers over the prospect of g out a new tv documentary about gay profsnal footballers. The news jt days after Blackpool star Jake Daniels bravely beme the first active player to e out as gay the English top-flight more than 30 years - the last beg the late Jt Fashanu. The former Manchter Uned star went on: "What he has jt done tonight tak credible urage - we have both been drsg rooms for many many years and that would seem unthkable to announce that you are gay and I n't image how difficult has been really.

Two players and another man were ught on mera vortg wh a pal well known the mic dtry a homosexual y that will shock soccer, this acrdg to News of the World. In the meantime, our own Jenny Woo - who herself enjoys beg the pany of women - has put on her gaydar and is up to the challenge attemptg to terme which of the English Premiership players may have been volved.

Pecially sce I am such a iend to the gay muny, but my gaydar here is full gear and I almost have gots to list Ronaldo as a favore at 1 to 2 odds.

WHO ARE THE ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP GAY FOOTBALLERS?

Media ptn, WATCH: 'I am ready to be myself' - Jake DanielsJake Daniels is the first profsnal footballer the UK men's game for more than 30 years to e out as gay while still playg.

"Before Jake, Josh Cavallo - who plays for Alai Uned Atralia - was the only openly gay top-flight male profsnal footballer the world, havg e out last do 'g out' mean?

Comg out of the closet, often shortened to g out, is when a person shar wh others that they are lbian, gay, bi and/or trans (LGBT) out is different for everyone and n take some time to get to a pot where someone feels fortable and nfint enough to tell other is this important?

JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FOOTBALLER OUT AS GAY

Only four male profsnal football players who have played the UK have shared that they were gay - Thomas Beattie, Jt Fashanu, Thomas Hzlsperger and Robbie Jake Daniels, only Jt Fashanu revealed he was gay whilst he was still playg football 1990. The other three shared that they were gay after retirg om after g out Jt Fashanu suffered om homophobic bullyg and harassment before he died do LGBTQ+ stand for? The + is an clive symbol to mean 'and others' to clu people of all ptn, WATCH: Gay footballers talk about their experienc the game (June 2020)Thomas Beattie, who was a former youth player for English club Hull Cy, said that he felt that he uldn't announce that he was gay while still playg: "I lerally felt like I had to sacrifice one of the two: who I am, or the sport I loved, " he there are now chari and anisatns that mpaign to make football more clive and a safe place for the LGBTQ+ muny.

FOOTBALLERS HAVE E OUT AS GAY TO TEAMMAT BUT FEAR PUBLIC BACKLASH, SAYS ENI ALO

Speakg about how g out will change his life Daniels said: "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 media. Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Readg the Game newsletter sent straight to your box for eeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s ee weekly newsletter Former England Women footballer Enla Alo says there are footballers who have told their teammat that they are gay, but rema too aaid of the backlash that they would face if they were to e out , the current director of women’s football at Aston Villa, spoke on Tuday to the Department of Digal, Culture, Media and Sport select mtee regardg the current levels of diversy across football, both the men’s and women’s experienc drew on the current difficulti that people of a Black, Asian and mory ethnic background face wh the sport, but the 102-p ternatnal was also asked about the trouble that homosexual players face over the cisn to e out has not been a sgle Premier League player who has e out at gay while still playg the top flight of English football, wh the late Jt Fashanu g out 1990 durg his reer while lower-league football and German Tomas Hzlsperger only revealg that he is homosexual after he had lled time on his reer 2014. In stark ntrast, a number of female players are openly gay the Women’s Super League, where Alo pots out homosexualy is far more accepted among fans both at gam and on social Alo said that there are current footballers England who have already told their teammat that they are gay, but will not announce publicly bee they fear the backlash that will e om fans and on social media.

We had the tragic se of Jt Fashanu takg his own life, and I do thk ’s gog to take for a player to jt say ‘this is who I am, I’m gay and I’m a great footballer too’ and don’t matter.

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

”Asked to clarify her claim by Labour MP Clive Effort that there are current footballers who have told their teammat that they are gay, Alo said: “Y that’s Alo says there are footballers who have e out to teammat but not public (DCMS)“I thk there’s been mours and all sorts of newspapers that try to get the exclive on who this player may be. 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.

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

Y, you will be subjected to abe on social media as women are, as black people are – there’s so much – but I do thk now let’s say if a current Premier League player out as gay they will be wily praised, appld, ld and rpected. Alo believ players like Rashford are showg young children that football is open to all (Getty)“The impact that has, there’s gog to be so many ltle Marc Rashfords Manchter that are totally spired by what he did the other week – young boys who probably felt there’s not much gog for me life who are now spired by Marc Rashford the same way that a gay Premier League player g out or a gay player g out around the world who is currently playg, that will have a huge impact on a young gay boys who may like football, who feel ‘I n’t play football’ bee of all the stereotyp around playg football.

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.

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.

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

'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.

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

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.

GAY FOOTBALLERS: FA AND THREE-BIG NAME STARS TALKS TO PUBLICLY REVEAL THEIR SEXUALY, ACRDG TO JOHN NILSON MP

Sports Mister Tracey Crouch also enurag players not to hi and blasts FA chairman Greg Clarke for recent mentsPublished: 16:50, 13 Dec 2016Updated: 13:05, 1 Nov 2017THREE big-name footballers are on the brk of revealg that they’re gay.

Asked if she would enurage gay footballers to e out, she said: “I would say to anyone any sport that if they felt the time was right to e out - and that is a personal cisn for them - that they should feel they have the support of the erng bodi they are wh. Sayg society had moved on terms of attus towards homosexualy, she went on: “In terms of the environment of someone g out, today, now, has probably never been a better time to e out. In October, FA chairman Greg Clarke told MPs that Premier League players would suffer “signifint abe” if they revealed they were gay.

Mr Nilson, who ma the ments durg a Department of Culture, Media and Sport hearg to homophobia sport, said he had asked the FA to e back wh an actn plan followg Mr Clarke’s ments.

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

Openly-gay Rugby World Cup fal ref Nigel Owens reckons the "majory of people football will react hugely posively" if a player out. 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. Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Readg the Game newsletter sent straight to your box for eeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s ee weekly newsletter Bra's foremost PR advisor, Max Clifford, told The Inpennt on Sunday last night that he has reprented two high-profile gay Premier League footballers the past five years and has advised them to stay the closet bee football "remas the dark ag, steeped homophobia" the wake of the Wal and Lns gby ternatnal Gareth Thomas g out yterday, Clifford says he nnot foree a proment footballer dog the same the near future.

TWO TOP GAY FOOTBALLERS STAY CLOSET

"You look across society and see openly gay people mic, movi, televisn, polics, the clergy, and 's not a problem, nor many sports. "The IoS n also reveal that a Football Associatn anti-homophobia mpaign has been stalled partly bee s anisers have failed to secure big-name Premier League players to speak out agast homophobia a film that would be screened at grounds around the untry.

"Unfortunately there seems to be a reluctance by some players and some clubs to speak up for gay rights, " says Peter Clayton, who chairs the FA's "Homophobia Football" workg group. "There are gay players the top divisn English football, and some of them are out to their clubs and team-mat and nobody giv a jot.

But there is a reluctance by some players and clubs to make public appeals agast homophobia, perhaps through fear they would be thought of as gay themselv.

8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY

"There has only been one openly gay man English profsnal football, Jt Fashanu, who was tnted, bullied, and killed himself 1998.

WHY ARE THERE NO OUT GAY FOOTBALLERS?

Clifford add: "I've had two high-profile Premier League football clients the past five years who've been gay or bisexual and my advice has been not to make that public. 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.

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.

Therefore, a suable environment should be created through tn as a drivg factor, so gay footballers don’t feel prsured to reveal their sexualy. Back June 2020 on his podst Ground, Louis Theroux spoke wh Watford pta Troy Deeney about gay footballers… or more specifilly, the lack of them. Dpe that, Deeney suggted that there was probably one gay or bi player at each club, and both qutned why no footballer had ‘planted their flag’ as out and proud.