Blackpool’s Jake Daniels has become the first openly gay male professional footballer in the UK since 1990 after going public and announcing it on Monday.
The 17-year-old recently signed a professional contract with the Championship team and made his club debut earlier this month.
Talk to Sky SportsDaniels said he hopes he can be a role model for others and hopes to have a gay player in the Premier League in the future.
READ: 17 LGBTQ+ athletes share their upcoming journey
“Of course I know that there will be a reaction to this and some of it will be homophobic, maybe in a stadium and on social media,” he said.
“It’s easy for people to aim. The way I see it it’s me playing football and they’re shouting at me, but they’re paying to watch me play and I’m living my life and making money from it. So scream what you want, it won’t make a difference.
“I’m not going to stop people from saying those things, I just need to learn not to let it affect me. I hope that by debuting, I can become a role model, help others if they can. want.
“I’m only 17 but I’m clear that this is what I want to do and if, when I show up, people look at me and feel like maybe they can do it too, that would be great.”
Following Daniels’ announcement, professional players’ organization FIFPRO tweeted words of support, saying: “We are so proud of Jake Daniels for deciding to share his story. No one has to hide. Find out who they are. Thank you to Jake’s teammates and clubs who stand by him and the LGBTQIA+ community.”
We are so proud of Jake Daniels for deciding to share his story. No one has to hide who they are.
Thanks to Jake’s teammates and clubs for standing with him and the LGBTQIA+ community.
️🌈 pic.twitter.com/CXftBCeR0j
– FIFPRO (@FIFPRO) May 16, 2022
Justin Fashanu became the first openly gay British male footballer in 1990 but took his own life at the age of 37.8 years after coming out to the media.
Since Fashanu, no male player has publicly dated during his playing career. Before Aston Villa star Thomas Hitzlsperger and former Hull City youth player Thomas Beattie revealed their love story after retirement.
March, USA Women’s Day Megan Rapinoe appeal for non-LGBTQ+ people to do more in football and said very few male players play because the environment is not “safe”.
Daniels becomes the latest male athlete to take the field after Adelaide United’s Josh Cavallo becomes The only openly gay professional male player in world football at the time of last year.
In June, the Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive team, Carl Nassib became First active NFL player to become gay.
Daniels added that he feels it is the right time to come on and he has received a positive response from the club and his teammates.
“Now is the right time to do that. I feel like I’m ready to tell people my story. I want people to know who I really am,” he said.
“I’ve thought for a long time about how I want to do it, when to do it. I know now is the time. I’m ready to be myself, free and confident with it all.
“I can’t really put a date on it, but I was probably five or six years old when I found out I was gay. So it’s been a long time since I’ve lived with a lie.
“At that age, you don’t really think football and gays don’t get along. You just think, one day, when I’m older I’ll have a girlfriend and I’ll change and it’ll be fine. stop.”
“For a long time, I thought that I would have to hide my truth because I wanted to be, and now I am a professional footballer. I asked myself if I should wait. until retiring to play in the pro game here is out.
“However, I know that it will lead to lying for a long time and not being able to be myself or have the life I want.
“Since I debuted with my family, the club and my teammates, the period of overthinking everything and the stress it creates has gone. It has taken its toll on mental health. Now I’m just confident and happy just being myself.”
