���˿���

Jake Daniels is the first professional footballer in the UK men's game for more than 30 years to come out as gay while still playing.

Daniels, who is 17 and plays for English Championship team Blackpool, described coming out as "a massive relief".

In an interview with Sky Sports, Daniels said: "Now is the right time to do it. I feel like I am ready to tell people my story."

His announcement was praised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, England captain Harry Kane and several charity groups.

Jake added: "Since I've come out to my family, my club and my team-mates, that period of overthinking everything and the stress it created has gone. It was impacting my mental health. Now I am just confident and happy to be myself finally.

"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've been hiding who I am'

Daniels says his announcement comes at the end of what he says has been a "fantastic" season for Blackpool, during which he made his first-team debut and signed a first professional contract.

"But off the pitch I've been hiding the real me and who I really am," he told Blackpool's website. "I've known my whole life that I'm gay, and I now feel that I'm ready to come out and be myself.

"It's a step into the unknown being one of the first footballers in this country to reveal my sexuality, but I've been inspired by Josh Cavallo and athletes from other sports, like Tom Daley, to have the courage and determination to drive change."

Before Jake, Josh Cavallo - who plays for Adelaide United in Australia - was the only openly gay top-flight male professional footballer in the world, having come out last October.

Why is this important?

Very few elite male football players have come out as gay during their careers.

Only four male professional football players who have played in the UK have shared that they were gay - Thomas Beattie, Justin Fashanu, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Robbie Rogers.

Before Jake Daniels, only Justin Fashanu revealed he was gay whilst he was still playing football in 1990. The other three shared that they were gay after retiring from football.

But after coming out Justin Fashanu suffered from homophobic bullying and harassment before he died in 1998.

Thomas Beattie, who was a former youth player for English club Hull City, said that he felt that he couldn't announce that he was gay while still playing: "I literally felt like I had to sacrifice one of the two: who I am, or the sport I loved," he said.

Today there are now charities and organisations that campaign to make football more inclusive and a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community.

One of those organisations is Stonewall, which tweeted: "We are proud that Jake has felt able to share his truth with the world.

"To come out publicly as the first openly gay player in men's professional football in the UK in the last 30 years takes courage. We're honoured to be supporting him!"

What has the reaction to the news been?

England captain Harry Kane said Daniels deserves "massive credit" and stressed "football should be welcoming for everyone".

While ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand called for "a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ people in football and beyond".

���˿��� Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker said: "I'm so pleased as I think he is going down a path many others will follow and I think the game will be better for it.

"Once they see that the overwhelming majority of people will be accepting, others will follow suit."

Meanwhile English football's governing body, The Football Association said: "Jake, you are an inspiration to us all and we fully support your decision to be open about this part of yourself.

Football is a game for all, with diversity at its heart, and this is a hugely positive step as we strive to build an inclusive game that we can all be proud of."

'I want to be a role model'

Speaking about how coming out will change his life Daniels said: "Of course I am aware that there will be a reaction to this and some of it will be homophobic, maybe in a stadium and on social media.

"I've hated lying my whole life and feeling the need to change to fit in.

"I want to be a role model myself by doing this," he added.

"There are people out there in the same space as me that may not feel comfortable revealing their sexuality. I just want to tell them that you don't have to change who you are, or how you should be, just to fit in."