In what could very well be an elaborate troll campaign, the gay footballer peeking out from behind the closet door on Twitter has been back to posting, this time to let everyone know he had a productive meeting with a manager and chairman of his team, and that he plans to reveal his identity very soon. When exactly? Soon, before August.
We’ll hold off on believing it’s the real deal until we see some actual movement, but if true, it could be a fairly big moment in professional soccer.
Related: Here’s 14 celebs who have come out in 2019 (so far)
Initially, the anonymous gay footballer wrote:
How about we take this to the next level?
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“I’m a professional footballer, playing for a club in the [Sky Bet Championship]. I will be revealing my identity soon, but I am a proud gay man, hoping to break the mould. I am under the age of 23, and today I came out to my family. Soon, I will come out publicly.”
Here’s the update that came this week:
An update following my meeting with the club on Sunday. Thank you to all of you that have shown your support so far ? pic.twitter.com/yRZrgXG5e6
— The Gay Footballer (@FootballerGay) July 15, 2019
Twitter users remain rightfully skeptical of the situation, but only time will tell.
There are currently no openly gay Premier League footballers. Stateside, Collin Martin of the Minnesota United came out as gay in 2018, making him the only out gay pro athlete active in any of the five major leagues.
Doug
I think this is getting to be a little strange.
Maleko50
Why all this drama & anticipation crap? Is he trying to get attention to further an agenda?
charlieeod74
The agenda is probably endorsement dollars. Like Tiger’s Nike hello world campaign.
LubbockGayMale
Does he need a little attention or drama? Get over yourself.
bowlingbutch
Really, who cares? We all have our own coming out story, whether dramatic or not. And yet looking for their 15 minutes of fame in today’s social media world people choose to make their coming out something to get attention. It is a story that everyone has. Why do you think I want to know yours?
MISTERJETT
he’ll do it when he’s ready.
jlogb
Ridiculous….. but Im still waiting in anticipation hahaha.
RIGay
What? Is he waiting to get a rose?
Saps48
I don’t mean to appear shallow, but it’s not so exciting when a British soccer player comes out…
bluebirdwales
Why? The English Premier League is the most famous and richest football league in the world. Is it because it’s not American and therefore not as important?
jjose712
I think this is just another variation of the classic a gay soccer player is going to come out this summer (something that was in the press for at least five years every summer).
But if it’s for good, i think he is dealing terribly bad with the whole thing. If he really comes out everything looks prefabricated to generate interest and i’m pretty sure in case it really happens he will be an unknown for sure which will get the obvious who cares reaction
SparkyMICH
He’s coming out…the day after he retires.
Kangol2
Given that it’s the Sky Bet Championship it’s very unlike to be Mbappé or Loftus-Cheek, but one can hope!
DuMaurier
So…soccer player, you mean. Let me know when it’s an actual–American–“footballer”, and he’s as famous as Tom Brady.
bluebirdwales
Queerly has a worldwide audience and most places in the world call ‘soccer’ football hence FIFA’s World Cup. Why do Americans insist on maintaining such a parochial outlook?
Celtic
Robbie Rogers, an American footballer (soccer player) came out six years ago. I do not recall any serious back lash. As a fan of English football and English and Irish rugby, I suspect there are gay lads on any number of teams. The idea that if you don’t f**k a woman you are not a real man has been diminishing over time. What one does in his/her bedroom really is a matter that belongs solely to those in that bedroom.
Bryguyf69
But Robbie Rodgers was/is a nobody in sport that Americans don’t care much about. Can you name one male American soccer idol? David Beckham came closest but his fame was achieved as a Brit. Even American fans revere Pele, Maradona, Reinaldo, etc more than any American player. In fact, all three have done more American commercials than any American player.
As such, Robbie Rodgers had much less pressure and much less to lose. Contast that to this anonymous lad, who the Sun claims is an “ace.” Furthermore, there is no history of overt homophobia or fan violence in American soccer. It’s far different in the UK, which is notorious for fan hooliganism and fan homophobia. The taunts from opposing fans are inevitable.
Cam
If he builds up a lot of attention, then after he comes out, it would be difficult for the team to dump him and claim it was for some other reason.
Bryguyf69
“Collin Martin of the Minnesota United came out as gay in 2018, making him the only out gay pro athlete active in any of the five major leagues.”
I don’t know the league structure of football, but I will point out that Swedish- British player Anton Hysen came out in 2011 and is still actively playing in Sweden. Of course, playing in a gay-friendly country like Sweden is very different from playing in the UK, where football violence and hooliganism is common.
Marshall Brown
Collin Martin is the ONLY major league athlete out? How much ignoring with the USWNT still have to take?