‘You being you, and being happy, is what matters most’ – Jake Daniels and another step forward

'A day of great importance for football'

That was how former Manchester United and England star Gary Neville described the recent decision by Blackpool’s Jake Daniels to publicly come out as gay. He is the first male professional player, writes Luke Mulcahy, to speak openly about his sexuality since Justin Fashanu in the 1990s. He did so with a brief statement on the Blackpool website in conjunction with a strikingly honest and mature interview that belied his mere 17 years. During his conversation with Sky Sports, Daniels elaborated on the challenges revealing his sexuality posed:

"For a long time I've thought 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 I've retired to come out. No other player in the professional game here is out."

When you examine the history of homophobia in professional football in the UK, it is not hard to see where Daniels' concerns came from, but it also underscores the seismic impact he will have on young LGBTQ children and players throughout the UK and Ireland. [caption id="attachment_261268" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Justin Fashanu, then with Norwich City, poses for a press snap in 1981. (Credit: Allsport UK/Allsport)[/caption]

The travails of Justin Fashanu

At just 18 years old Justin Fashanu began playing professionally with Norwich City. His skill was evident from the offset, and he amassed a total of 40 goals while playing with the Canaries. It was not long before his success caught the attention of the bigger clubs and, in 1981, Fashanu was signed by Nottingham Forrest for £1 million, the largest amount ever for a black player – at the time. Rumours of Fashanu’s homosexuality led to a steady deterioration with Nottingham manager Brian Clough, who reportedly criticised him for attending gay bars. For the remainder of the decade, Fashanu would play with a variety of different clubs including Southampton, Notts County and Brighton along with stints with both US and Canadian teams. In October of 1990, Fashanu publicly came out in an interview with The Sun newspaper. He was the first-ever player to do so, and reaction to the revelation proved mixed. Fashanu’s brother John proclaimed him an outcast, he would later regret these comments. Fashanu also claimed that despite being fully fit he failed to receive an offer to join a club after the story was published. In 1998, Fashanu died by suicide. He had been accused of sexual assault in Maryland a state where homosexual acts were illegal, at the time. Fashanu left a note denying the allegations claiming his homosexuality would prevent him from getting a fair trial. [caption id="attachment_261269" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Robbie Rogers pictured before an LA Galaxy match in 2013. (Credit: Getty Images)[/caption]

Robbie Rogers and Thomas Hitzlsperger

Until recently, no other professional male player would come out during their career, those that did chose to do so after they had finished playing. In 2011, Robbie Rogers arrived at Leeds United after playing with Ohio side Columbus Crew. His time with the West Yorkshire club was plagued by injury and, in 2013, Rogers announced he would leave the side. Weeks later, the winger featured in headlines around the world when he announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 25 and that he was gay. Speaking to The Guardian, Rogers explained why he didn’t come out while playing:

"Because of the things I've heard in the dressing room, I just thought, 'I need to get away from this – make my announcement, find peace, go from there. So, I can never imagine announcing that at Leeds."

Later that year, Rogers returned to football to play with LA Galaxy a team he remained with until 2017. In September 2013, Thomas Hitzlsperger became the highest-profile player to come out after retiring. The German ace known for his powerful shot played for Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton. Hitzlsperger acknowledged that being gay in England ‘was no big thing’. Nevertheless, he was quick to call out the homophobic attitudes of his teammates:

"I was never ashamed of being who I am, but it was not always easy to sit on a table with 20 young men and listen to jokes about gays."

Despite the best intentions of many involved in the game, the issue of homophobia has remained endemic. Last year, The Professional Footballers Association of England found that a third of the abuse players received was homophobic. Chants such as ‘rent boy’ and derogatory gay slurs like 'poof' are still heard from the crowds at games. Players, including Sol Campbell, have spoken about receiving homophobic abuse despite being heterosexual and recently Patrice Evra stated some of his former West Ham teammates would refuse to shower with a gay player. All of this is compounded by the fact that the next World Cup will be held in Qatar - a country where it is illegal to be gay. World Cup organisers have clarified that attendees will not be stopped entering the country based on sexual orientation. Nevertheless, hosting such an important event for the global football community in a country with such noted anti-gay views could hardly be deemed encouraging for LGBT fans. Despite all the above, progress has been made. The Premier League have introduced a league-wide ban on anyone caught behaving in a discriminatory fashion whilst attending a game. A rainbow laces campaign was launched where players could show support for the LGBTQ+ community and prominent players have worn rainbow armbands. While awareness campaigns and solidarity from current players is important, it pales in comparison to fans having an out gay footballer they can support for the first time in nearly 30 years. The impact Jake Daniels will have on generations to come will not be forgotten as he moves to normalise something that, in actuality, should be quite normal. In the Blackpool star's coming out letter, he signs off on a simple yet positive mantra that going forward football should take heed of - You being you, and being happy, is what matters most.

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