Coronatn Street's gay footballer storyle changg nversatn on homophobia | Football News | Sky Sports

Contents:

• JAKE DANIELS BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY - REACTN
• JT FASHANU: BRA'S FIRST OUT GAY FOOTBALLER TO BE DUCTED TO HALL OF FAME
• GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO SAYS 'S HIS DREAM TO PLAY WORLD CUP BUT QUTNS HIS SAFETY QATAR
• JAKE DANIELS: ENGLAND'S ONLY OPENLY GAY ACTIVE FOOTBALLER REVEALS TOM DALEY SPIRED HIM TO E OUT
• A-LEAGUE FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY: 'I'M TIRED OF THIS DOUBLE LIFE'
• THOMAS BEATTIE: FOOTBALL DISTRACTED ME OM ACCEPTG I'M GAY
• CORONATN STREET'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE CHANGG NVERSATN ON HOMOPHOBIA
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

JAKE DANIELS BE UK'S FIRST ACTIVE MALE PROFSNAL FOOTBALLER TO E OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY - REACTN

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he was proud of Jake Daniels for beg the first active profsnal player to e out publicly as gay sce 1990, while Jack Grealish believ is a "massive step forward" Monday, 17-year-old Daniels told Sky Sports he felt now was the right time to tell his story at the end of a season where he sred more than 30 goals and ma his profsnal but the now hop to bee a role mol for other players to feel fortable enough to e out, if they want to, wh people across the football world and beyond showg their support for the teenager.

JT FASHANU: BRA'S FIRST OUT GAY FOOTBALLER TO BE DUCTED TO HALL OF FAME

Manchter Cy's Jack Grealish prais Daniels' cisn to e out publicly as gay and says reprents a massive step forward for football. 'Football has a place for everyone'Daniels ced Alai Uned's Josh Cavallo, the only current top-flight male profsnal footballer to e out as gay, as an spiratn behd his cisn to speak out, a pot the Atralian said was a "wonrful feelg" after learng of the said: "As myself and Alai Uned prepare for the A-League Semi Fal, I want to stop and take a moment to acknowledge Jake's announcement and say how very proud I am for his bravery!

Daniels was spired by Matt Morton, a player-manager for nth-tier Thetford Town, before cidg to e out publicly after seeg his own story of beg an openly gay man Morton, who offered support to Daniels the months leadg up to his g out, says is the teenager who should be praised for the bravery he has shown this week.

GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO SAYS 'S HIS DREAM TO PLAY WORLD CUP BUT QUTNS HIS SAFETY QATAR

"He's a 17-year-old kid who's had the urage to e out on natnal televisn, havg jt signed a profsnal ntract, and announce to the world that he's gay. Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have praised Jake Daniels after the 17-year-old me out as gay, scribg his announcement as an important day the history of English football.

We have been drsg rooms for many, many years and that would seem like the unthkable to announce that you are gay. "I was on the PFA management mtee probably 15 to 20 years ago now whereby this was a major talkg pot, a major issue at management mtee meetgs that we did not have a player fortable enough to e out and say they were gay. England Rugby head ach Eddie Jon praised Daniels and said he hoped uld provi an spiratn for gby unn, where there have been siarly few openly gay players.

That has taken more than three s sce the last male profsnal footballer this untry felt fortable enough to do so suggts a ntug culture of homophobia football that is horrendoly out of step wh morn tim. "The Commtee prevly lled for chang to the Football Offenc Act to make homophobic abe a crimal offence. Jt Fashanu, Bra's first and only out gay male profsnal footballer, is to be posthumoly ducted to the Natnal Football Mm's Hall of Fame later this week.

JAKE DANIELS: ENGLAND'S ONLY OPENLY GAY ACTIVE FOOTBALLER REVEALS TOM DALEY SPIRED HIM TO E OUT

Fashanu's niece Amal, who ns The Jt Fashanu Foundatn, will receive the award on what would have been her uncle's 59th Foundatn has been set up to highlight the issu of homophobia and other forms of discrimatn both grassroots football and the profsnal game, while also aimg to raise the participatn of LGBT people told Sky Sports News: "I thk he wouldn't believe himself. 'Rpect for out gay player would help'.

A-LEAGUE FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY: 'I'M TIRED OF THIS DOUBLE LIFE'

Gay and clive club wants FA actn. "I gus for Jt this would be a great moment and I thk 's a pivotal moment when we are fally regnisg who Jt Fashanu was, not only as the openly gay footballer, but also as a very talented footballer and the first ln-pound black player England. She add: "I have gay football iends who play right now who happen to be gay to their iends and fay but jt not to the rt of the world.

THOMAS BEATTIE: FOOTBALL DISTRACTED ME OM ACCEPTG I'M GAY

I thk everyone, other dtri, we're very happy to accept is gay or who is whatever they choose to be, but I gus wh football, bee is such a close-kn, dark archaic kd of vibe, 's very difficult. The reactn of Jt's fay was not as supportive as uld have been when he me out, said Amal, but time - and talkg - has helped, wh brother John a tstee of The Jt Fashanu Foundatn foc on awarens and tn, wh key areas of support mental health, homophobia and racism add: "My Dad fely regrets that. England's only out gay active profsnal footballer Jake Daniels has revealed that Olympic divg champn Tom Daley spired him to e out.

CORONATN STREET'S GAY FOOTBALLER STORYLE CHANGG NVERSATN ON HOMOPHOBIA

Seventeen-year-old Blackpool forward Daniels, who publicly me out May, ma the cisn to open up about his sexualy after watchg Daley's Alternative Christmas Msage on Channel 4 last, one of the UK's most famo gay athlet, said if he had one wish for Christmas would be that "one player steps forward and says, 'I am gay'". Blackpool's Jake Daniels out as gayDaniels watched the clip "over and over aga" before takg the cisn to heed Daley's advice and now says is "one of the bt thgs I've ever done my life". "In football, beg gay is a taboo - even now, " Daniels said Channel 4's Out and Proud documentary.

I kept my head down when I heard homophobic banter the drsg room and slowly started gettg to me. "He spoke about homophobia sport and how amazg would be, what a difference would make if one brave player me out as gay.

Daniels is the only openly gay profsnal footballer England. A-League midfielr Josh Cavallo has e out as gay, beg the only known current male top-flight profsnal footballer the world to be out. "I'm a footballer and I'm gay, " the 21-year-old said an emotnal vio posted on Alai Uned's social media.

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

"Cavallo is the first active gay profsnal footballer to e out Atralia's top-flight, sayg he was done wh feelg "ashamed" about his add: "I'm tired of tryg to perform at the bt of your abily and to live this double life, 's exhstg. Ashamed I would never be able to do what I loved and be gay. "Beg a gay closeted footballer, I've had to learn to mask my feelgs orr to f the mould of a profsnal footballer.

Growg up beg gay and playg football were jt two worlds that hadn't crossed paths before. "Few ele male footballers have e out as gay durg their Aston Villa, Wt Ham, and Everton player Thomas Hzlsperger waed until the year after he retired 2013 before g out Leeds Uned player Robbie Rogers me out while ially announcg his retirement Febary 2013 shortly after beg released, before returng wh LA Galaxy and wng the MLS Cup to bee the first openly gay male athlete to w a major profsnal team sports tle the Uned Brennan beme the first former A-League player to e out May 2019 when the ex-Newstle Jet was still playg a lower Mart, an out gay male profsnal footballer who plays for San Diego Loyal the USL, gave his support for Cavallo on social media. Cavallo said Thomas Beattie, a former youth player for English club Hull Cy who me out 2020, had been a "role mol" helpg him on his journey and hoped their example might help change thgs for other young gay men sport.

"Statistics show only 33% of young gay men play football parison to 68% of young straight men, " he said. "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. However, by sharg publicly that he's gay, Beattie - who rose through the Amy ranks at Hull Cy before playg profsnally Canada, the Uned Stat and Sgapore - hop to help make the act of g out more ordary for any male players who might relate to his 33-year-old knows that for many people, his news won't be nsired particularly remarkable.