Jake Daniels (born 8 January 2005) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club Blackpool.
Jake Daniels: Fc blackpool| Transfermarkt| Stats
FC Blackpool:
I can’t really put a date on it, but I was probably five or six years old when I knew I was gay. So it’s been a long time that I have been living with the lie.
At that age you don’t really think that football and being gay doesn’t mix. You just think, one day, when I’m older I’ll get a girlfriend and I will change and it will be fine. But as you get older you realise you can’t just change. It doesn’t work like that.
I did have girlfriends in the past, to try and make all my mates think I was straight, but it was just a massive cover-up. In school people even used to ask me: “Are you sure you aren’t gay?”. And I would reply, “no, I’m not”.
Transfermarkt:
Justin Fashanu became the first openly gay male British footballer in 1990 but took his own life at the age of 37, eight years after coming out publicly to the media.
Since Fashanu, there has not been a single male player to publicly come out during his playing career. Former Aston Villa star Thomas Hitzlsperger and ex-Hull City youngster Thomas Beattie revealed their sexuality after retirement.
In March, United States women’s international Megan Rapinoe appealed for non-LGBTQ+ people to do more in football and said so few male footballers have come out because the environment is not “safe.”
Stats:
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Year
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Matches
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Goals
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Assists
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2021-22
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1
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0
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0
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0
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0
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It was part of a French league-wide campaign against homophobia and the Senegal international has a strong Muslim faith. PSG has not denied the reports or made an official comment.
Daniels said he was inspired by Josh Cavallo of Australian team Adelaide United, who is the only openly gay man currently playing in a top division in world soccer following the 22-year-old midfielder’s announcement in October.
