This 17-year-old just became Britain’s first pro soccer player to come out in 32 years

Jake Daniels became the only pro male player currently active in the U.K. to come out in 32 years when he revealed in a series of public statements on May 16 that he is a gay man. The news makes Daniels, a 17-year-old forward from the second-tier Blackpool FC, the only gay male player currently active in Britain’s soccer clubs.

“It’s a step into the unknown, being one of the first footballers in this country to reveal my sexuality,” he said, adding that he’s been inspired by other openly LGBTQ+ athletes to “have the courage and determination to drive change.”

Daniels joined Blackpool FC after playing in the team’s youth league, where he reportedly scored 30 goals this season. The rising star made his debut with the adult squad on May 7, which unfortunately resulted in a 5-0 loss to fellow Championship club Peterborough United. Daniels saw nine minutes of playing time in the game.

Despite what Daniels called a “fantastic season,” he said in a statement posted to the Blackpool FC website that there was a crucial component missing from his gameplay: bringing his full self to the field.

“I’ve been hiding the real me and who I really am,” he wrote. “I’ve known my whole life that I’m gay, and I now feel that I’m ready to come out and be myself.”

Daniels said his teammates and family members have been “incredibly proactive in putting my interests and welfare first.” He added, “I have also confided in my teammates in the youth team here at Blackpool, and they too have embraced the news and supported my decision to open up and tell people.”  

In a statement accompanying his coming out, Blackpool FC lauded Daniels’s bravery. The team said it is “incredibly proud that he has reached a stage where he is empowered to express himself both on and off the pitch.”

Stonewall, the U.K.’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, added that it is “honoured to be supporting” Daniels on his journey. The group reportedly advised Blackpool FC after he told his teammates and coaches about his sexual orientation, in order to ensure that the club would be a safe space for Daniels and any other players who come out in the future.

“We are proud that Jake has felt able to share his truth with the world,” Stonewall said in a tweet. “To come out publicly as the first openly gay player in men’s professional football in the U.K. in the last 30 years takes courage.” 

The first and only other British soccer star to publicly disclose his sexuality was Justin Fashanu in 1990. At the time, he was a forward for the now-defunct Canadian outfit Hamilton Steelers, but Fashanu would make history the following year as the first gay player in the U.K. premier league after joining Newcastle United, where he played for a single season.

A journeyman throughout his career, Fashanu retired from the sport in 1997. He took his own life a year after his retirement, at the age of 37.

Although Fashanu remains the U.K.’s only gay player to compete at the premier level, several out athletes around the world have made their mark on the soccer field in the years since. In 2013, Robbie Rogers came out while a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, making him the first openly gay male player in a major North American sport. 

Although Rogers retired from Major League Soccer in 2017, former Minnesota United midfielder Collin Martin carried on his legacy in 2018 by coming out as gay. Martin is currently playing for San Diego Loyal, a Division II team.

Australia’s Josh Cavallo, who came out last year, is currently the world’s only gay soccer star competing at the elite level.

In his coming-out remarks, Daniels credited the influence of these pioneering players, but also noted the challenges of being a trailblazer. Following his coming out, Fashanu was reportedly berated with homophobic epithets from fans for the rest of his career, and Martin’s San Diego Loyal teammates walked off the field in 2020 after an opposing player called him an anti-gay slur during a match.

“It’s an easy thing for people to target,” Daniels told Sky Sports News, referring to his sexual orientation. “The way I see it is that I am playing football and they are shouting stuff at me, but they are paying to watch me play football and I am living my life and making money from it. So shout what you want, it’s not going to make a difference.”

“I won’t stop people from saying that stuff,” he continued. “I just need to learn how to not let it affect me.”

Daniels admitted that he once considered waiting until his retirement before he discussed his personal life with the world. Having known that he was gay since he was five or six years old, he expressed hope that he could be a “role model” for others who “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,” he said. “You being you, and being happy, is what matters most.”