Jake Daniels becomes UK's first openly gay male professional since 1990 | OneFootball

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Alex Mott·16 May 2022

Jake Daniels becomes UK's first openly gay male professional since 1990

Article image:Jake Daniels becomes UK's first openly gay male professional since 1990

Blackpool forward Jake Daniels has become the first active male professional footballer to come out as gay in over 30 years.

Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports on Tuesday, 17-year-old Daniels opened up about his sexuality and in doing so became the first player since Justin Fashanu in 1990 to publicly come out as gay.


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“Now is the right time to do it. I feel like I am ready to tell people my story. I want people to know the real me,” he told Sky Sports.

“I have been thinking for a long time about how I want to do it, when I want to do it. I know now is the time. I am ready to be myself, be free and be confident with it all …

“I first told my mum and my sister, who I live with. ‘Yeah, we already knew’ was how they reacted.

“Then we told my whole family and at this point I was quite scared because I didn’t know how the older generation might react.

“I needn’t have worried. I’ve had so many messages saying, ‘we are proud and we are supportive’. It’s been amazing. I couldn’t have wished for it to go better.

“The day after I told my mum and sister, we played Accrington [in an under-18s fixture] and I scored four goals so it just shows how much of a weight off the shoulders and what a massive relief it was …

“And Blackpool have been absolutely amazing too. I am with them every day and I felt safe.

“My team-mates have all been so supportive about it and everyone has had my back. They’ve been asking tons of questions, they have all been intrigued and their reaction has been brilliant. It’s the best thing I could have asked for.

“Of course, everyone was kind of shocked in a way and they were asking why I didn’t tell them earlier. That was a great reaction because it showed how much they cared.

“The captain was one of the main people I told and he also asked me loads of questions. In the end he just said, “I’m just so proud of you”. It meant so much.

“I like it when people ask questions. I just want to get it all out and for people to hear my story.”

Daniels has made one substitute appearance for the first team this season but has been firing for the youth team netting 30 goals.