16 May 2022 17:17:30
Kudos to Jake Daniels of Blackpool. Hopefully he's left alone to live his life.

16 May 2022 18:27:23
No wife no life. 😛.

16 May 2022 18:53:31
Hopefully he gets the respect he deserves.

{Ed025's Note - very much so pegleg..

16 May 2022 18:56:49
Amazing news today and all the best for him.
Hopefully the first of many more.

16 May 2022 19:02:42
Amazing news, I couldn’t be more proud of someone I am barely even aware of.

Football has always had a crippling problem with toxic masculinity and bigotry, going all the way back the days of rampant hooliganism. It’s getting better on almost every front but it’s relationship with sexuality and gender norms still remains a big issue.

Large swathes of fans, our own included, regularly endorse homophobic chanting and even this season some of the slander directed at Calvert-Lewin and Tom Davies for their dress sense and self expression has been disgraceful.

As someone who identifies as bisexual themselves, I have experienced first hand that the intersection between the Beautiful Game and queerness is a very uncomfortable one. I often feel at odds with ladly lads in expressing myself or my sexuality as it just isn’t often expected by them or something they’ve experienced before, and i’m often afraid of the misconceptions that come with that.

Even as a child, I was put off playing sunday league because of the intense masculine bullishness that came with it as it was something I never dealt with very well, something i’ve only managed to get over recently with dipping my toe into 9 a side, where I have been pleased to find that most people are very accepting, or the people i play with at least.

The same is true when hanging out with your LGBT friends, as they perceive football as a very toxic and masculine pastime and i worry of how my love of the game may effect how they perceive me. I try to explain to them that football is for everyone, and that just because there are problems with that sort of thing in the game at present, it does not mean we should just surrender it and give up, we should fight for a future in which all working class and marginalised groups are represented and respected within the game, so that everyone can enjoy it, but it is hard to get them to come around to it.

What Jake Daniels has done requires unbelievable bravery and really hope he can be a trailblazer for many like him, and for improving the issues which afflict the most popular sport in the world. There have been many rumours of England players who have wanted to come out but haven’t, and i really hope that this is a line in the sand for such a terrible thing to not continue any further.

A great day for football and for the world at large. Congratulations to the lad and I hope the rest of the country takes it as well as I hope they will.

{Ed025's Note - that’s a brilliant post AW. Kudos to you mate and I applaud your honesty and integrity..

16 May 2022 19:24:09
What he said👆.

16 May 2022 20:15:19
Absolutely mate. Football fans and even opposition players will use anything they can to wind a player up so this just shows how brave he is. If a player is good enough then who cares what his sexuality is.

16 May 2022 20:32:08
Agree. Very impressed by his courage at 17.

16 May 2022 18:42:35
Very brave of a 17 year old just starting out, I hope he has a long and happy career and can be an inspiration to plenty of others going forward.

16 May 2022 20:45:58
Bet there is many players out there probably household names who are gay, I think its a revolutionary move and could help others to come out.

16 May 2022 20:48:14
Very sorry I meant to give a thumbs up emoji 🤦👍.

16 May 2022 20:57:55
17? You're kidding me. I didn't read the articles just saw the headline and his photo. Good on him and good luck. Guy looks like he's 30 though. Pretty sure I looked about 14 when I was 17. Still, plenty of Liverpool pubs back then who only looked twice if you came in holding your mum's hand.

16 May 2022 22:43:36
Great post AW, respect to you. Wish Jake Daniels all the luck in the world for his future. Top young man.

We've come a long way since our own player shamed himself (I won't mention his name) . Still a long way to go, though.

16 May 2022 22:55:43
Fair play to the lad, but in today’s world it’d actually be braver to say he’s not that brave to say it. He’ll get plaudits and back slaps from all and sundry. Is it really that brave when practically everyone already supports you?

Now, if he’d have said he doesn’t support gay marriage or hates xyz type of people then that would be brave. It’s only brave if no ones got your back.

16 May 2022 23:05:43
Quo Vadis,

You seem like an educated and tolerant person.

The sad truth is many are not. And they will not “have his back”.

It’s a long uphil battle and football has hopefully taken a good step today.

{Ed0666's Note - We’ve gone round in circles since Justin Fashanu and our attitudes toward gay footballers. Sport is the only place in most of society where homosexuality isn’t tolerated or supported it’s seems which beggars belief. For me the kid from Blackpool is brave and has some Cajunas on him and I truly hope he goes on and has a stellar career without getting berated by idiots on the terraces. Because this truly is a seminal/watershed moment for athletes just not footballers!

16 May 2022 23:45:20
Yes i get that it is important, I’m just not sure its as big as people will make it out to be, but if he’s made more people comfortable in their own skin then that's great.

I am naturally a cynic, however, so for me, if a 17 year old, grown up in a generation where being “different” is a badge of honour then prior baggage just won't be a big issue. He’ll now be an instant celebrity, gain sponsors and offers aplenty and become poster boy for this and that cause all over. A New Years honour beckons sooner or later and all the rest…blah blah. Simply for saying he’s gay.

Those idiots on the terraces or on the keyboards who want to throw him or anyone else abuse need to stop being given credit for holding more power than they actually have. That’s all I’m saying. Treat it or any other label (for want of a better phrase) as bravery then you just keep giving the true idiots ammunition.

Might seem like I’m trolling but honestly all I really see is a great publicity stunt.

16 May 2022 23:53:22
Incredibly brave of the young lad that deserves (and will get) total support from all right minded human beings.

It is sad that society still regards it as ‘brave’ when someone feels that there is a need to make such a statement. It is to be sincerely hoped that in the (near) future the need will not be there as society will adopt a more informed, inclusive approach to ALL members of our society.

Respect to @Anonymous Woolback - great insight into your perspective and again, very brave and honest (as the author) and heartening for me as the reader to see such a contribution to the debate.

17 May 2022 01:24:28
Fantastic news on Jake Daniels coming out as gay, it’s the step football needed to become more inclusive. Football is a global brand and to think that no active professionals are gay or comfortable being identified as gay is shocking for society as a whole! I’m 35 now and for the first 15 years of my life had a football attached to me, I played in all the younger Irish leagues but stopped playing when I hit puberty and realised that I was gay, I didn’t drop out of the game because of my team mates who were all cool with me being gay but rather the lack of someone to look up to and idolise …I just couldn’t see a future in football; 20 years on I’m gutted that I didn’t have the courage Jake has shown and miss playing football a lot! I truely hope that Jakes actions will inspire the next generation to be brave! Great to see so many come out n support of his decision let’s hope the lad doesn’t get too much shift from the minority of morons in the crowd!

17 May 2022 07:22:07
The lad is brave for coming out to the public as he has opened himself up to the world to judge him and discuss his motives.

Personally I think who you sleep with shouldn’t matter, I couldn’t care less who anyone on here chooses to sleep with or anyone on the outside world. It is each individuals choice and should be respected either way.

The main thing football needs to tackle, which AW mentions, is the inclusivity of the game. Football is one of the greatest sports in the world but it does have barriers for certain people. For instance you couldn’t imagine a drag queen going to a game, they’d be heckled instantly. If one chose to now they’d try their best to fit in to avoid any confrontation.

In society we seem to have an obsession with labelling people, gay, non binary, black, white, etc etc. What needs to be shown is just acceptance of who others are and allow/ encourage others to be themselves. The more we label, the more we are divided. when in reality, strip us all back and we are all a bag of bones and all just want to enjoy the wild ride that is life.

17 May 2022 07:35:40
Justin Fashanu was treated like absolute trash. Even by his own brother who I never had any time for. I'm convinced Justin could've done a job for a top club but not many where prepares to take the risk. Hopefully attitudes are much more enlightened these days.

17 May 2022 07:40:00
It starts right here. The fans attitude. My son is gay. He hates football for all the obvious reasons.

I love my son. I love football. Why can’t they go together?

Woolback - kudos to you my friend.

17 May 2022 07:57:04
Quo- I kind of get what you are saying but your comments don't come off to well mate. I think you need to not be cynical and accept that the lad has decided to make a stand and shout from the rooftops for his own sanity and for the benefit of others in the game who are struggling etc.

17 May 2022 11:10:34
They say that when you're the first, or one of the first, in any particular endeavour in life, whether it is work, business, sports or anything else, you have a first mover's advantage. I've never seen it just this way. Aside from some advantage, I've always seen it as painting a giant bullseye on your back, because some parts of society, wherever you are, are always looking for targets. And nothing is easier to target than a giant bullseye. The non-conformists are always seen differently, and many are simply unable to accept deviations from their norms.

All the more reason why this man has tremendous testicular fortitude. Wish him luck and all the best.

17 May 2022 10:13:16
Cmon Quo Vadis, its a bit hard for the lad to go back in time to a more ‘challenging’ scenario. He is brave by any standard and i believe he's only the second current pro footballer to come out in public. It would be a lot easier to wait until a few more players did the same but he has come out as one of the front-runners and will probably get abuse from the occasional match day neanderthal because of it. Balls of steel if you ask me.

17 May 2022 11:59:34
It’s a brave decision by the lad. Hopefully he won’t be alone out there as more and more come forward with pride.

17 May 2022 15:57:20
So many comments on this thread is the problem. People still appreciating when lads and lasses come out -it is the problem. Suddenly the lad would start feeling he has done something which isn't normal. Stop appreciating someones personal preferences.
I have never been appreciated for making live to my wife. Not even by my wife.
In words of One called klopp please let the kid be the normal one. All this hype will just land him in a soup and invite misery he didn’t ask for.
Its personal let's keep it that way and normalise it. I hate it when lgbtq is still a story. In 2022 this should be normal not news.
Apologies for the rant but this is involuntary dissociation of the lad for something very natural. Its not a choice he has made, its his nature. Please stop complimenting and start normalising it.

17 May 2022 16:21:57
To get to normal we have to go through the stages mate. This is a wonderful stage. It’ll be tough on the kid but it’ll make it easier for the next kid after. And hopefully soon enough, it won’t be a big deal. You have to walk before you can run.