Blackpool's Jake Daniels becomes UK's first active openly gay male footballer in 32 years

Jake Daniels became the first openly gay professional male footballer in the UK since 1990 when he came out on Monday.

The 17-year-old signed a professional contract with the Championship team and made his club debut earlier this month.

Daniels hopes that he can become a role model for others and hopes that there will be a gay footballer in the future.

Athletes share their coming out journeys.

He said that he was aware that there would be a reaction and that some of it would be homophobic.

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.

I am only 17 years old but I am clear that this is what I want to do and if other people see me coming out and think they can do it as well, that would be brilliant.

The first openly gay male British footballer, who took his own life at the age of 37, came out publicly in 1990.

Since Fashanu, no male player has publicly come out. After retirement, ex-Aston Villa and Hull City player Thomas Hitzlsperger and ex-Hull City player Thomas Beattie revealed their sexuality.

Megan Rapinoe, an international women's football player from the United States, said in March that so few male football players have come out because the environment is not safe.

Josh Cavallo became the only openly gay male professional player in world football when he came out last year.

Carl Nassib, a defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders, came out as gay in June.

Daniels said that he received a positive reaction from his teammates and that he felt it was the right time to come out.

It's the right time to do it. I think I'm ready to tell people my story. He said that he wanted people to know the real him.

I have been thinking about how I want to do it for a long time. I know it's time. I'm ready to be myself, be free and be confident.

I can't say when I knew I was gay, but I was probably five or six years old. I have been living with the lie for a long time.

You don't think that being gay and playing football mix. When I get a girlfriend, I will change and it will be fine.

For a long time, 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 myself or lead the life I want to.

Since I came out to my family, my club and my teammates, that period of over thinking has gone. My mental health was being impacted by it. I am happy to be myself again.