Blackpool's Jake Daniels, 17, is first active male pro footballer England to e out as gay | Daily Mail Onle

Contents:

• JOSH CAVALLO REVEALS WHY THE DATE HE ME OUT AS A GAY MALE FOOTBALLER IS SO SPECIAL
• BLACKPOOL'S JAKE DANIELS, 17, IS FIRST ACTIVE MALE PRO FOOTBALLER ENGLAND TO E OUT AS GAY
• OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO SAYS HE WAS 'NOT ENJOYG LIFE' PRETENDG TO BE STRAIGHT
• STLAND'S ONLY OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER ON BREAKG STEREOTYP AND HIS OWN LIBERATN
• 'I KNOW FOR A FACT THERE ARE GAY PLAYERS AT THE WORLD CUP': STLAND'S ONLY OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER ZANR MURRAY LLS BAN ON ONELOVE ARMBANDS A 'DIRECT ATTACK' ON LGBTQ+ MUNY
• STLAND'S ONLY GAY FOOTBALLER NMNS WORLD CUP AMBASSADOR FOR 'HURTFUL' HOMOPHOBIC MENTS
• PREMIER LEAGUE STAR SAYS HE IS GAY AN OPEN LETTER... BUT ADMS ONLY HIS FAY AND IENDS KNOW
• A TWTER ER CLAIMG TO BE A GAY FOOTBALLER SAYS THEY WILL REVEAL THEIR INTY 'SOON'
• COLE TO SUE OVER GAY FOOTBALLER Y CLAIMS
• 'FORMER ENGLAND AND PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER ULD E OUT AS GAY NEW TV DOCUMENTARY'

JOSH CAVALLO REVEALS WHY THE DATE HE ME OUT AS A GAY MALE FOOTBALLER IS SO SPECIAL

Profsnal footballer Josh Cavallo has opened up about the importance of the date he me out as the world's only openly gay male profsnal Alai Uned central midfielr and Young Socceroos player, 21, shared an emotnal vio to social media on October 27 speakg about his timg was not cintal - Cavallo wears the number 27 for the Alai Reds, and the 27th is his parents' weddg anniversary. Alai Uned star Josh Cavallo (pictured) me out as gay an emotnal vio posted on his club's official Twter page on October 27 On October 27, profsnal footballer Josh Cavallo proudly announced to the world he is gayThe reactn om that day has been monumental.

BLACKPOOL'S JAKE DANIELS, 17, IS FIRST ACTIVE MALE PRO FOOTBALLER ENGLAND TO E OUT AS GAY

Cavallo's announcement mak him the only known gay profsnal footballer currently playg the world At the age of 16, Cavallo, who played youth football wh Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Cy before makg his profsnal but wh Wtern Uned, knew he was has found the last six years to be exhstg at tim, and often nsired walkg away om the sport he lov. Cavallo said he was 'exhsted' om 'livg a double life' and is exced to show the world his te self Cavallo went on to tell head ach Carl Veart his news, before sharg his stat as a gay man to his playg group embraced and appld the youngster, which was a huge source of new-found stat as a gay idol has taken some gettg ed to but Cavallo is termed to embrace the life he kept hidn for so the pch, the driven footballer wants to one day tt himself abroad but for now he is happy to rve out a formidable reputatn the A-League, which kicks-off later this month. 'Growg up I always felt the need to hi myself bee I was ashamed - ashamed I would never be able to do what I love and be gay.

OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO SAYS HE WAS 'NOT ENJOYG LIFE' PRETENDG TO BE STRAIGHT

'It is astonishg to know that there are currently no gay profsnal footballers who are out and actively playg, not only Atralia but around the world. Blackpool FC's Jake Daniels has e out as gay a televised terview today, beg Bra's only active openly gay profsnal 17-year-old is only the send top-flight Brish football player to e out and he ma the move a bid to tackle the surge of homophobia the sport.

STLAND'S ONLY OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER ON BREAKG STEREOTYP AND HIS OWN LIBERATN

Daniels was 'keen to break the stigma' and has bee the only openly gay male pro currently playg the untry, and the send the world a trailblazg moment for the men's game.

'Daniels, scribed as 'an spiratn to all' by the Prime Mister, is the first Bron the men's profsnal game to e out publicly as gay sce Jt Fashanu 1990 at the age of told Sky Sports: 'It's been que a crazy year. ' Pictured: Blackpool FC's Jake Daniels, who is jt 17 years old, has e out as gay a televised terview today Speakg to Sky Sports (pictured above), 17-year-old Jake Daniels said he felt the time was right and he was ready to e out The only openly gay man to have played English soccer's profsnal leagu was Jt Fashanu, who was not active at a high level when he ma the announcement 1990.

The ex-Nottgham Fort and Norwich Cy striker was found ad at 37Josh Cavallo, 22, who plays for Atralian team Alai Uned, me out as gay last year to then bee the only out pro the players have e out after their reers were over, cludg former Aston Villa player Thomas Hzlsperger, 40, and ex-Hull Cy youth's Thomas Beattie, 35. Daniels, who has been wh Blackpool FC sce the age of seven, said he first realised he was gay at the age of five or six but thought would be somethg that would change as he got olr bee football and beg gay 'didn't really mix' told Sky Sports: 'I've had girliends the past to try and make all my mat thk that I'm straight and was jt a massive ver up so has been a stggle.

'I KNOW FOR A FACT THERE ARE GAY PLAYERS AT THE WORLD CUP': STLAND'S ONLY OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER ZANR MURRAY LLS BAN ON ONELOVE ARMBANDS A 'DIRECT ATTACK' ON LGBTQ+ MUNY

'And then school, everyone always ed to ask me 'are you sure you're not gay' and was like 'no I'm not' bee I wasn't ready but I jt don't want to lie anymore. Male pro footballers who have e out as gay The first profsnal football player to e out as gay was Jt Fashanu who me out 1990.

He then bounced om Leyton Orient to non-league Southall and then Leatherhead, a semi-pro that year, he me out as gay, beg the first proment football player England to do so.

STLAND'S ONLY GAY FOOTBALLER NMNS WORLD CUP AMBASSADOR FOR 'HURTFUL' HOMOPHOBIC MENTS

He remaed the only player to have peted England's top tiers to e out as gay until Jake Daniels' announcement Cavallo, 22, who plays for Atralian team Alai Uned, me out as gay last year to then bee the only out pro the world. Cavallo beme the first known current top-flight male football player the world to e out as gay October an emotnal and wily-praised vio, he said was done wh feelg ashamed about his sexualy and the exhstn of tryg to live a 'double-life'. 'I'm a footballer and I'm gay, ' the 21-year-old said the clip posted on Alai's social media and a statement posted to his Instagram page, drawg support om fellow profsnals across the world.

Elsewhere the sport, one of the hight-profile male football players to publicly e out as gay sce Fashanu is German footballer Thomas January 2014, Hzlsperger me out as gay one year after he had retired while terviewg Die Ze, a German newspaper. Hzlsperger was pped 52 tim by Germany and ma appearanc the 2006 World Cup and 2008 is a rary team sports for men to announce they are Wal pta Gareth Thomas was the first active gby profsnal to e out 2009, two years before he retired, and has bee a source of spiratn across of the most proment gay athlet Bra is Olympic divg champn Tom Daley who spired former England soccer pta Casey Stoney to e out is ach of the San Diego Wave after managg the women's team at Manchter Uned.

The 17-year-old me on as an 81st mute substute and is now the first openly gay active profsnal football player if he thought was somethg he had to hi, he said: 'Yeh I thk so obvly bee there's no one out that I do need to hi and wa until I've retired to maybe e out but I jt knew that that was such a long time of jt lyg and not be able to have what I want.

PREMIER LEAGUE STAR SAYS HE IS GAY AN OPEN LETTER... BUT ADMS ONLY HIS FAY AND IENDS KNOW

'And people see beg gay as beg weak, somethg you n be picked on for on the football field. The 17-year-old forward Jake Daniels (pictured) is the only active openly gay male profsnal player Bra The world of football heaped praise on Blackpool forward Jake Daniels, pictured durg his senr but, after he me out Imprsed: Sky Sports' Gary Neville (pictured above) has praised Daniels and said that is 'a big, big moment for football''It is a day of great importance for football and tak unbelievable urage. 'I hontly thk that, asi om a few homophobic morons, football will be credibly welg and enormoly supportive towards a gay footballer.

Thomas Hzlsperger, who me out as gay after his retirement, wished Daniels 'a wonrful reer' wrote: 'Well done @JakeDaniels11 Have a wonrful reer! ' A host of players and clubs have shown their support for Jake Daniels, pictured, after he me out as gay this afternoon Jake Daniels has been wh Blackpool FC sce he was seven (pictured for the U18 squad) and ma his senr but this yearDaniels signed his first profsnal ntract wh Blackpool Febary and ma his Champnship but earlier this health secretary W Streetg tweeted: 'This shouldn't need urage today's day and age, but do.

'Amal Fashanu, who ns the Jt Fashanu Foundatn to fight homophobia and racism football, revealed 2020 that her foundatn was providg unsellg to five secretly gay football stars, cludg two om the Premier League. Daniels, pictured durg his terview, said he realised he was gay when he was jt five or six Josh Cavallo, who plays for Atralian team Alai Uned, me out as gay last year to bee the only out pro the worldCommentg on the announcement this afternoon, Amal Fashanu, said: 'The Jt Fashanu Foundatn would like to mend Jake for the immense bravery he has shown today by takg this step makg his sexualy public. 'Jake's announcement will e as a huge fort to the many footballers at all levels of the game - om grass roots to the profsnal leagu - still secretly livg as gay and who still feel unable to e out.

A TWTER ER CLAIMG TO BE A GAY FOOTBALLER SAYS THEY WILL REVEAL THEIR INTY 'SOON'

'Homophobia the game needs to be treated wh the zero tolerance approach racism rightly receiv. 'Cavallo beme the first known current top-flight male football player the world to e out as gay October an emotnal and wily-praised vio, he said was done wh feelg ashamed about his sexualy and the exhstn of tryg to live a 'double-life'.

'All I want to do is play football and be treated equally, ' he to Twter, former England striker and BBC Match of the Day prenter Gary Leker led an outpourg of public support for the player, sayg he is hopeful Cavallo's actns will 'erase the fear others may have' of g out as gay. He also revealed he has not heard anythg om world erng body FIFA sce he went public Alai Uned left back publicly announced he is gay October, addg he wanted to show 'everyone is wele the game of football'. Cavallo, who has reprented Atralia at Unr-20 level, beme the only known current male top-flight footballer to publicly say he is gay when he me out.

COLE TO SUE OVER GAY FOOTBALLER Y CLAIMS

He has played 90 mut both of Alai Uned's A-League gam so far, helpg them to a pair of 22-year-old said was 'astonishg to know there are no gay profsnal footballers who are out and actively playg' and that he wanted to show 'others who intify as LGBTQ+ that they are wele the football muny'. Cavallo beme the only known current male gay top-flight player when he me out October'Also, when I was on the pch, I was thkg about nversatns I might need to have afterwards and makg up stori on the spot. Homosexual acts are banned unr Qatari law and punishments range om at least a year to a prison, wh a 2019 'danger x' ratg Qatar as the send most dangero place to vis for LGBT+ travellers.

Cavallo adms he would worry about g out to his iends and fay durg matchMeanwhile, mlims the untry n be subjected to Sharia law that bans any sexual activy outsi marriage, cludg homosexualy, wh punishments rangg up to the ath people uld, therefore, face executn but several human rights reports have said there is no evince to suggt this has happened. Speakg about the possibily of him playg Qatar, Cavallo told the Guardian's Today Foc: '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.

'FORMER ENGLAND AND PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER ULD E OUT AS GAY NEW TV DOCUMENTARY'

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? After three s of verg up and nyg his te sexualy, the striker was now the first openly gay Sttish footballer.

Durg lockdown the Lowland League striker bge-watched It’s A S, the Channel 4 seri wrten by Rsell T Davi, pictg the life of gay men durg the AIDS crisis 1980s affected by what he saw, he end a heterosexual relatnship wh a girliend shortly April 2021, he felt ready to divulge who he really was to iends and fay. ’ The Gala Fairyan Rovers star beme the first senr Sttish footballer to reveal he is gayStereotyp around homosexualy are only slightly more mon than stereotyp around football fans. Regard as a rough-and-ready, macho, workg-class sport, Murray stayed the closet as long as he did for fear of the likely reactn of supporters and Airdrie and Hearts striker Jt Fashanu was the last openly gay player the Sttish game the 1990s.

The omerta surroundg homosexualy wh the natnal game was fally shattered when Blackpool striker Jake Daniels me out earlier this year. We have to get to a pot where gay players n s a drsg room after a game and say: “I’m gog out for a few drks wh my boyiend” and no one bats an eyelid.