I couldn't have wished for it to go better. I've had so many messages saying, 'we are proud and we are supportive.' It's been amazing. Then we told my whole family and at this point I was quite scared because I didn't know how the older generation might react. 'Yeah, we already knew,' was how they reacted. I first told my mum and my sister, who I live with. Now I am just confident and happy to be myself finally. 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. However, I knew that would lead to a long time of lying and not being able to be myself or lead the life that I want to. No other player in the professional game here is out. I asked myself if I should wait until I've retired to come out. I wasn't ready and it was a struggle but I just don't want to lie any more.įor a long time I've thought I would have to hide my truth because I wanted to be, and now I am, a professional footballer. In school people even used to ask me: 'Are you sure you aren't gay?'. 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.
You just think, one day, when I'm older I'll get a girlfriend and I will change and it will be fine.īut as you get older you realise you can't just change. At that age you don't really think that football and being gay doesn't mix.
