I told my mother and sister. It shows how much of a relief it was that I scored four on the day after we played.
Jake Daniels is the first male professional footballer in the UK to come out publicly as gay.
Jake came out to his team-mates and his parents. He wants to live his life without telling a lie. He wondered if his family and team-mates would be supportive and how he hoped his actions could help others.
This is his story.
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It's the right time to do it. I think I'm ready to tell people my story. I want people to know who I am.
When I want to do it, I have been thinking about how to do it. I know it's time. I'm ready to be myself, be free and be confident.
When I knew I was gay, I was probably five or six years old. I have been living with the lie for a long time.
Being gay doesn't mix with football at that age. When I get a girlfriend, I will change and it will be fine.
As you get older, you realize you can't just change. It does not work that way.
I had girlfriends in the past to try and make my friends think I was straight, but it was just a massive cover-up. People used to ask me if I am gay. I would reply that I am not.
I was not ready and it was a struggle, but I want to tell the truth.
I thought I would have to hide my truth because I wanted to be a professional footballer. I wondered if I should wait until I retire. There are no other players left in the professional game.
I knew that would lead to a long time of lying and not being able to be who I want to be.
Since I came out to my family, my club and my team-mates, the period of over thinking and stress has gone. My mental health was being impacted by it. I am happy to be myself again.
I told my mother and sister, who I live with.
At this point, I was scared because I didn't know how the older generation would react.
I didn't have to worry. It has been amazing, I have had so many messages saying we are proud and supportive. I wish it would go better.
It shows how much of a relief it was to score four goals in a game the day after I told my family.
They have been amazing as well. I feel safe because I am with them every day. Everyone on my team has supported me. They have been asking a lot of questions and their reaction has been great. It is the best thing I could have asked for.
Everyone was kind of shocked and they were asking why I didn't tell them earlier. It showed how much they cared.
The captain asked a lot of questions and was one of the main people I told. He just said, "I'm just so proud of you." It meant a lot.
When people ask questions, I like it. For people to hear my story, I want to get it all out.
It has been a crazy year. I am 17 years old. I have signed a professional contract. I have scored 30 goals this season and just made my first team debut in the Championship, coming off the bench against Peterborough.
I have decided to come out.
It feels right but everything has happened at once. I wanted to prove to myself that I am a player. I think I have. I knew this was the last thing I needed to do. People know that it is out. I can now live my life how I want to. It has been amazing.
The subject of being gay, bi or queer in football is still taboo. A lot of football players want to be known for being masculine. Being gay is seen as weakness by people, something you can be picked on for on the football field.
I am aware that there will be a reaction to this and that some of it will be anti-gay.
It is an easy thing to target. The way I see it is that I am playing football and they are yelling at me, but they are paying to watch me play football and I am living my life and making money from it. It is not going to make a difference when you shout what you want.
I need to learn how to not let that affect me.
I hope that by coming out, I can help others come out as well. If other people see me coming out and think they can do it as well, that would be great.
I will be able to do it if they think this kid is brave.
I was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 I think it would be amazing if a footballer from the premier league came out. I think I would have done my job and inspired someone else to do it. I want it to go up from here. We should not be where we are right now.
I know that every situation is different and that there are a lot of different factors for other people to consider, especially in football.
Speak to people if you think you are ready. I know it was hard for me to do that, but you are going to get support from the people closest to you.
Tim Thornton is a Sky Sports News reporter.
After Jake decided that he wanted to come out publicly, his representatives contacted me at the beginning of the year. I met Jake, his agent and his mother in Blackpool and we talked about a road map for sharing his news.
Jake's desire to help others has driven the process since then. He has been given all the time he needs to reflect. He has continued to tell us that he would arrive at this destination and be himself.
Jake has reached a stage where he is able to express himself both on and off the pitch and is incredibly proud that he has been supported by the relevant footballing organizations.
Football leads the way in removing discrimination and prejudice, and it is important that we all promote an environment where people feel comfortable to be themselves.
The Professional Footballers Association is proud of Jake and has been working with him. Everyone at the PFA supports him.
Coming out publicly in professional football will have taken great courage and I have huge admiration for Jake Daniels decision to do so. Jake has the full support of the EFL and this will serve as an inspiration to people everywhere.
As our national sport, football has a huge role to play as we seek to promote equality of all forms. We hope that this moment will lead to a time when representation of the LGBTQ+ community in the professional game is commonplace.
Football v Homophobia would like to congratulate Jake on taking this step to share his authentic self in the men's professional game, especially at such a young age.
There have been players who felt that they had no place in the game as out gay men, but Jake is showing the world that you can be yourself.
We hope that football will join us in celebrating Jake's news and take proactive steps to ensure that he gets the support he deserves from players, fans, clubs and the football authorities.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this post, help is available online at sky.com/viewersupport.
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