There are gay footballers – and there always have been |

Contents:

• 8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY
• AT LEAST 20 FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE AND CHAMPNSHIP ARE GAY BUT THEY'RE AAID TO E OUT SAYS EX-CLUB BOSS
• GAY PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER 'VERY LIKELY' TO E OUT NEXT YEAR, SAYS JT FASHANU'S NIECE
• GRAEME SOUNS EXPLAS WHY THERE ARE NO OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLERS THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND REVEALS TNAL VIS TO BRIGHTON PRI PARA
• 10 GAY FOOTBALLERS WHO ANNOUNCED THEIR HOMOSEXUALY
• THE MOST FAMO GAY FOOTBALLERS IN THE MORN GAME
• GAY PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS: PL PLAYERS MOURED TO BE 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!
• TWO PREMIER LEAGUE TEAMMAT ARE A RELATNSHIP AND OPEN ABOUT BEG A GAY UPLE
• THERE ARE GAY FOOTBALLERS – AND THERE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN
• JAKE DANIELS: BLACKPOOL FORWARD BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY
• JAKE DANIELS BE FIRST UK MALE FOOTBALLER TO E OUT AS GAY SCE 1990
• BRIGHTON PRI: EMPTY B AT FTIVAL WILL MARK ABSENCE OF GAY FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE

8 MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO DARED TO COME OUT AS GAY

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. 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. 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. Later, after wng the 2014 MLS Cup, Rodgers also beme the first gay male to w the league tle the USA. In 2019, he was also featured a documentary related to homophobia sports named Standg on the Le.

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

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? Likewise, he also participated the 7th edn of the realy TV show Lets Dance and beme the first-ever gay to w the ntt.

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”. 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.

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

Furthermore, he is one of the send Brish football players to publicly e out as gay after Jt Fashanu did 30 years ago. Therefore, a suable environment should be created through tn as a drivg factor, so gay footballers don’t feel prsured to reveal their sexualy. 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 was openly gay durg a spell as Leeds Uned MD 2013-14 and says many homosexual players nfid him as a rult.

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

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

10 GAY FOOTBALLERS WHO ANNOUNCED THEIR HOMOSEXUALY

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

” But he do believe certa untri ‘own upon’ gay relatnships and so club ownership, and sponsors, uld be a problem. Acrdg to rearch fdgs, football supporters would like to see homophobia elimated, believe the FA is not dog enough to addrs the issue, and would feel at ease if a member of their team me out as gay. Homosexual male players football historyHere is a list of the profsnal male footballers who me out public and announced their homosexualy.

Uned and Mnota Uned FC Major League Soccer, and for Richmond Kickers and Hartford Athletic the Uned Football me out as gay June 2018, makg him the only out man any of the big five Amerin sports leagu or any top-divisn profsnal men's natnal soccer, 26, shared the news on Twter, notg he had been openly gay to his iends and fay for years, but never on such a large platform. It's an important night for me — I'll be announcg that I am an openly gay player Major League Soccer, ' he wrote on Twter.

THE MOST FAMO GAY FOOTBALLERS IN THE MORN GAME

'Mart's announcement ma him one of only two openly gay players Major League Soccer - the other beg Robbie Rogers, who retired shortly after his announcement but me back to play Tto was the first player to e out as a gay man, makg the announcement shortly after his retirement said his cisn to e out on an ternatnal stage was ma 'much easier' by the 'kdns and acceptance' om his fellow players.

He released a book named “Comg Out to Play” announced his retirement and sexualy wh a 408-word post on his personal blog, which Rogers wrote, "I'm a soccer player, I'm Christian, and I'm gay. Anton HysenGlenn Anton Hysén, born December 13, 1990, is among the homosexual male players football history.

GAY PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS: PL PLAYERS MOURED TO BE GAY

Daily Mail has scribed Anton as the "first high-profile Swedish footballer to announce that he is gay" and as the send active profsnal football player to e out, after English footballer Jt Fashanu 1990. He won the seventh season of Let's Dance, beg the first openly gay person to w this Hysén said: 'I am a footballer and gay. At the Stockholm Pri, he livered a speech nouncg sports homophobia and laid to rt his 2001 airport stated that, "I know that many LGBT people have been the victims of asslts and hate crim.

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!

Cint had been blown out of proportn the orr to fally flh the Frankfurt Airport punch down the toilet: is not the se that I beat up a gay person.

"In the same speech he asked "How easy would be for a sixteen-year-old boy who plays football to e out as gay to his team mat? "While Germany as a untry has noticeably bee more and more relaxed about homosexualy recent years, he had also noted there was an unhelpful media obssn wh fdg the first gay footballer.

All sorts of well-tend but ultimately unhelpful terventns om heterosexual players – who eher oped that gay players would benef om g out or utned agast – did not exactly fill him wh nfince that this was ed the right former ternatnal, who played the 2006 World Cup and the 2008 European Champnship, matas that he did not have to lie about his sexualy and that teammat eventually stopped askg about his lack of a girliend. "But the important thg for me is to show that beg a homosexual football player is somethg that is normal.

TWO PREMIER LEAGUE TEAMMAT ARE A RELATNSHIP AND OPEN ABOUT BEG A GAY UPLE

After partg Grimsby Town, Liam went onto play for Selby Town, Brigg Town, Gasborough Try, and most recently Cleethorp Town, who he reprented the 2017 FA Vase Fal at January 2014 Davis bee the UKs hight profile openly gay December 2017, Davis publicly cricized ments ma by FA chairman Greg Clarke that "profsnal players who out themselv as homosexual would be takg a risk. "Davis urged other homosexual soccer players to e out publicly and not fear a 32-year-old has spoken out enuragg male gay footballers not to worry about g out, sharg his own experienc as part of Uefa’s Equal Game mpaign, to foster greater cln and diversy the midfielr admted receivg abe om opponents, but sists football’s attus to homosexualy are creasgly UrbanMarc Urban, born 4 Augt 1971, is a former German football player.

He has spoken publicly about the difficulti that gay footballers’ experience and he is now a spokperson and mpaigner on diversy issu sport and the was sent to a sports boardg school at age 13 and played for the natnal youth teams the 1990s before settlg at send divisn club Rot-Weiss Erfurt. ”Urban said he realized that life as an openly gay profsnal player would be impossible and gave up his reer.

He is now on the board of You Can Play, an anizatn dited to the fight agast homophobia PterPter liv Balham wh his hband Alan and works as an assistant manager at Boots.

THERE ARE GAY FOOTBALLERS – AND THERE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN

He was appoted as a Member of the Orr of the Brish Empire bee of his work batg realized at the age of 10 that he was gay, and alt wh homophobic abe om his schoolmat. While playg for his lol club, Pter suffered homophobia om other players and was dropped om the first team to the fourth team after one of his teammat found out that he was gay.

In 1991, after seeg a listg Capal Gay and Time Out, he joed a group of LGBT soccer players  Regent's Park. C., the first gay football club November 2010, he was rmed that he would be appoted an MBE for his work agast homophobia football. It was later announced that he had e out as gay, and that he qu football as a rult of what he scribed as wispread homophobia the football muny.

Berlg's se was ced several tim the upg years, as the nnectn between homophobia and sport was discsed the natnal media now and FashanuJt Soni Fashanu (19 Febary 1961 – 2 May 1998) was an English footballer who played for var clubs between 1978 and 1997. Acrdg to his suici note, fearg he would not get a fair trial bee of his homosexualy, he fled to England where he killed himself London May 1998. 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.

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

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.

"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.

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

It still shocks me that over the past 30 years or so, there are no active publicly gay footballers playg the Premier League / Top profsnal Leagu. Wh all the homophobic ments social media whenever clubs change their logos to a rabow pattern or when the Rabow Lac mpaign receivg homophobic ments, my heart breaks to see how homophobic the football world n be.

I feel like growg up, havg publicly gay footballers makg the top leagu would be a great role mol for LGBTQ+ football lovers, I hope some n e out soon (of urse, whenever they feel fortable to). A few days 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 Uned.

BRIGHTON PRI: EMPTY B AT FTIVAL WILL MARK ABSENCE OF GAY FOOTBALLERS PREMIER LEAGUE

But the 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 backlash.

The 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.