Two Premier League players – including an England international – are set to come out as gay simultaneously.
The Daily Mirror reports that the footballers both want to avoid being the first openly gay, current Premier League star so they plan to make the announcement at the same time.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Lord Ouseley, the chairman of anti-discrimination watchdog Kick It Out, said that the simultaneous announcement would make a lot of sense.
He said: “I think it is a good time for someone to come out because organisations like my own and others, which work with gay and lesbian communities, would be supportive.
“We’ve seen this happen in some other sports and, although football is seen as quite different, I think it’s a time when we should be able to demonstrate that support.
“Unless you test the waters, you can’t be certain. But I think there enough people in the game now that would be willing to see their organisations demonstrate support for people being able to express, in an open way, their sexuality.”
The Mirror also revealed that a player was recently discouraged from revealing his sexuality when a homophobic message was painted across his car.
Ouseley added that players are reluctant to come out due to the threat of abuse from the stands, the impact on their families and the fear of losing their places in the team.
“Inevitably, there are people in football who will be abusive but I think we’re geared up to trying to find those people and kick them out of the game.”
Former Aston Villa and West Ham midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger (pictured above) is the last high profile footballer to come out as gay. The German made the announcement in 2014, a year after former Leeds United player Robbie Rogers also announced he was a homosexual.
