Blackpool’s Jake Daniels, inspired by Adelaide’s United Josh Cavallo, comes out as gay

Blackpool striker Jake Daniels has become the first active professional male footballer in England to come out as gay in more than 30 years.

The 17-year-old said he was inspired by the example of Adelaide United midfielder Josh Cavallo, who became the first openly gay male player in a top-flight competition when he came out last year.

“I’ve hated lying my whole life and feeling the need to change to fit in,” Daniels said on Blackpool’s website.

“I want to be a role model myself by doing this. There are people out there in the same space as me that may not feel comfortable revealing their sexuality.

Daniels said his teammates at Blackpool had embraced his sexuality after he confided in them several months ago. Club spokespeople said they were “incredibly proud that he has reached a stage where he is empowered to express himself both on and off the pitch”.

The announcement has been met with a similar wave of support to what Cavallo received last October.

England’s Football Association said Daniels was an “inspiration”.

“This is a hugely positive step as we strive to build an inclusive game that we can all be proud of,” the governing body tweeted.

“We are with you and we hope your story will help to give people across the game the strength and encouragement to be their true self.”

Former England footballers Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher described it as a “historic” moment, while other organisations including the Premier League, FIFA, and FIFPro all expressed their support for Daniels.

Loading

“This season has been a fantastic one for me on the pitch,” Daniels said in a statement.

“But off the pitch I’ve been hiding the real me and who I really am. I’ve known my whole life that I’m gay, and I now feel that I’m ready to come out and be myself.

“It’s a step into the unknown but I’ve been inspired by Josh Cavallo, [England non-league player] Matt Morton, and athletes from other sports, like [diver] Tom Daley, to have the courage and determination to drive change.”

The only openly gay man to have previously played as a full-time professional in England was Justin Fashanu. However, he was playing non-league when he made the announcement in 1990 before later reviving his career at Torquay.

The former Nottingham Forest and Norwich City striker took his own life aged 37.

More recently, German Thomas Hitzlsperger, who played at Aston Villa, and American Robbie Rogers, who played for Leeds, have come out after leaving the English game.

Daniels said he had been thinking for a long time about how to tell his story, and living a lie had been affecting his mental health.

“I asked myself if I should wait until I’ve retired to come out.

“However, I knew that would lead to a long time of lying and not being able to be myself or lead the life that I want to.”

Daniels said his mother and sister had reacted by saying, “Yeah, we already knew.”

“The day after I told my mum and sister, we played Accrington (under-18s) and I scored four goals, so it just shows how much of a weight off the shoulders and what a massive relief it was,” he said.

AAP/ABC