Blackpool's Jake Daniels Becomes UK's First Openly Gay Soccer Player in Over 30 Years

Jake Daniels is bravely coming out.

On Monday (May 16), the 17-year-old Blackpool player became the first active openly gay professional male soccer player in the UK since 1990.

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“This season has been a fantastic one for me on the pitch,” Jake wrote in a statement shared to the Blackpool’s website. “I’ve made my first-team debut, scored 30 goals for the youth team, signed my first professional contract and shared success with my team-mates, going on a great run in the FA Youth Cup and lifting the Lancashire FA Pro-Youth Cup.”

“But off the pitch I’ve been hiding the real me and who I really am. I’ve known my whole life that I’m gay, and I now feel that I’m ready to come out and be myself,” Jake continued. “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, Matt Morton and athletes from other sports, like Tom Daley, to have the courage and determination to drive change.”

He continued, “In reaching this point, I’ve had some of the best support and advice from my family, my Club, my agent and Stonewall, who have all been incredibly pro-active in putting my interests and welfare first. I have also confided in my team-mates in the youth team here at Blackpool, and they too have embraced the news and supported my decision to open up and tell people.”

Jake concluded his statement saying that he hopes to be a role model to others that are afraid to come out.

“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,” Jake wrote. “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. You being you, and being happy, is what matters most.”

Then in an interview with Sky Sports, Jake said that as long as he’s true to himself, he doesn’t care what the haters will say about him or his sexuality.

“It’s an easy thing for people to target. 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,” Jake said. “I won’t stop people from saying that stuff, I just need to learn how to not let it affect me. I am hoping that by coming out, I can be a role model, to help others come out if they want to.”

He added, “I am only 17 but I am clear that this is what I want to do and if, by me coming out, other people look at me and feel maybe they can do it as well, that would be brilliant.”

Justin Fashanu became the first openly gay male British soccer player back in 1990, but sadly took his own life at the age of 37, eight years after he publicly came out.