Jake Daniels has played well enough to earn himself a contract extension!

The teenage soccer star, who publicly came out as gay when he was 17 years old, re-signed this week with his club Blackpool FC. He ended his season on loan at Bradford Park Avenue, a struggling club playing in Britain’s seventh tier. But his strong performance still earned him accolades.

He won the Northern Premier League’s goal-of-the-month award in February and Man of the Match honors in March. Daniels scored four goals and netted six assists for Bradford Park Avenue in 13 games.

Though Avenue wound up getting relegated anyway, Daniels was a bright spot. His agency, Astra Partners, said his play earned him another 12-month contract.

“Jake joined @bpafcofficial in February of this year and had a very impressive loan spell for the club,” the agency wrote on Instagram when announcing the signing. “It’s this impressive form that has prompted the club to extend Jakes current deal.

“Congratulations Jake from everyone at Astra you’ve thoroughly deserved this for all your hard work. Next season is going to be big!!”

Daniels expressed gratitude for his experience with Avenue as well.

“Massively grateful to have had the opportunity to play at Bradford PA,” he posted on Instagram. “Couldn’t have asked for a more amazing few months with a class group and amazing fans. Happy to have contributed what I could and to have scored 4 and assisted 6 in a short time is a step in the right direction.”

A true trailblazer, Daniels was the first active male pro soccer player in England to come out in 32 years. He received over 20,000 messages of support, including lines from British icons such as Elton John, Tom Daley and Prince William. 

Only 17 at the time, Daniels became the youngest out pro male soccer player in the world. His announcement inspired young LGBTQ+ soccer fans across the globe. 

“I think the best thing for me was seeing people’s parents saying like ‘my son or my daughter has just come out to me’ and it was amazing to see those messages was great,” he told the Daily Star. “Around football, I am seeing a lot more pride flags being flown, I am seeing changes, people will now be banned from grounds for saying anti-LGBTQ stuff onto the pitch. There is definitely change.”

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But the changing times don’t mean that Daniels isn’t insulated from homophobia. He regularly encounters derogatory comments online, and says it’s hard to ignore the nasty insults.

“Sometimes, I wish I could just turn my phone off and leave it because it can be a toxic place,” he said in an interview this year with Utilia Football.

To block out the noise, Daniels installed an app on his phone that automatically deletes hateful messages from users’ social media feeds. He says it helps him to not see the comments at all.

“Two or three seconds after it had been posted, it would just get deleted straight away which was a massive thing, because I could see 100 positive things and that one negative would always stick in my mind,” he said. “People say don’t read it but it’s so hard not to. It’s good to have that, just to remove it so I don’t see it. I think [we need] more things like that just so people aren’t seeing it and then struggling even more.”

As one of only five out gay male pro soccer players in the world–along with Collin Martin, Jakub Jankto, Josh Cavallo and Andy Brennan–Daniels’ voice matters. He’s reminded of his platform on a regular basis, as mothers and fathers of LGBTQ+ kids tell him he’s been an inspiration.

Those moments serve as reminders that the uneasiness is worth it.

“When I was accepted by people, the main thing was having people’s mothers and fathers messaging me saying their kids had just gone downstairs and told them they were gay,” said Daniels, via the Blackpool Gazette. “That was an amazing feeling because my mum was left in the dark when I was going through some mental troubles, so when I told her it was a massive relief.”

When it comes to soccer, Daniels’ teammates serve as his support system. He says he’s never encountered an issue, showing that soccer is for everyone… despite the dearth of out gay male figures.

“I love my teammates,” he said. “They are my team but they are also my close friends as well and I have always had support from them.”

There is a brotherhood among out gay athletes, which Daniels has experienced firsthand. Daley’s mentorship has been especially meaningful.

“One massive person that helped me was Tom Daly–he was one of the biggest role models in sport, so it was easy to speak to him about different things,” he said.

Now, Daniels can be a role model for the next generation. He’s living his life in the public eye, even sharing details about his boyfriend. Being one of the only out gay people in a sport can be a daunting experience for anybody, never mind a teenager.

But Daniels continues to thrive. It’s great to see his hard work is paying off!

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