How many gay football players are there
Why it's still difficult to be male, gay and play football
Troy Deeney, the captain of Premier League side Watford, has said that he believes there is "probably one homosexual player in every football team".
"I think people that are gay or from that community definitely are very worried about having to shoulder the responsibility of being the first. I think once the first comes out, there would be loads," Deeney said.
There are only two players playing professionally now who are openly gay, San Diego Loyal's Collin Martin and Anton Hysen who plays in Sweden.
Hysén was born in Liverpool and is the son of ex-Liverpool player Glen Hysén. He came out as gay in 2011 and was described at the time as a "global one-off".
He says just because he is out, that doesn't mean other players should feel any pressure to come forward too: "I do hope more football players come out, but I just don't hope to force anyone and I feel like if you do come out, you have to be ready mentally.
"It was a lot to take in, I was very fresh and all the attention was overwhelming, but I've always been proud living my truth as I wish everybody cou
Premier League's first openly gay footballer weighs in on LGBT controversy after several stars refused to wear rainbow clothing
Thomas Hitzlsperger, the Premier League's first openly gay player, has shared his thoughts on the LGBT pride saga which is engulfing the top flight after several footballers protested against wearing rainbow armbands and jackets.
The German moved to the Aston Villa youth team in 2001 aged 19 and played 114 times for the west Midlands outfit, scoring 12 goals in a productive spell at the club.
The midfielder then enjoyed a five-year stint at Stuttgart before returning to England for short spells at West Ham and Everton, where he retired in 2013. After he called time on a fine career, Hitzlsperger came out as gay making him the most high-profile footballer to do so.
In the last week, various refusals to wear items of rainbow clothing have caused chaos in the Premier League with Ipswich captain Sam Morsy deciding not to sport an armband with that pattern, before Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guehi wrote messages on his.
On Wednesday, devout Muslim Noussair Mazraoui declined to wear a rainbow jacket, forcing Manchester Merged to ditch plans for the team
Group coming out of gay football players: Will it happen?
What is Sports Free?
Sports Free is an initiative that advocates for greater visibility and acceptance of homosexual athletes in professional sports. The initiative was started by Diversero, a global community that advocates for diversity and against bullying. Marcus Urban is the co-founder of the organization.
Who is Marcus Urban?
In 2007, Urban became Germany's first former football player to come out as gay. Born in 1971 in the former East Germany (GDR), Urban was one of the most talented young footballers in the communist state. As a midfielder for Rot-Weiss Erfurt he played in the highest youth leagues and represented the GDR at various youth levels.
He almost turned professional in the early 1990s, but decided against the career action, deciding that the pressure of being a professional football player while having to hide his homosexuality would be too much for him.
What is planned?
Diversero is planning to host a platform on Friday, May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersex and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), for professional footballers to jointly affirm to the world their homosexuality or
"I'm the happiest and healthiest I've ever been in my life and that means the society to me."
Over the course of the NFL's 103-year history, only a handful of players own ever come out as gay. In a sport where many players undergo that their career could be at risk if they came out, it takes a lot of courage to authentically live their truth. In evidence, it wasn't until 2021 that an active player actually opened up about his sexuality. But thanks to the bravery of all the players who have decided to share their story so far, there's hope that the NFL will be a more inclusive place going forward.
Find out which football stars have appear out as gay…
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View Story1. Carl Nassib
Carl Nassib, who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is the first active NFL player to come out as gay. In an Instagram video mutual in June 2021, Carl opened up about his sexuality and expressed his gratitude for the support he'd been given so far from his teammates and coaches.
"I just wanted to obtain a quick moment to say that I'm gay," he said. "I've been meaning to complete this for a while now but finall