Josh Cavallo: Proud my coming out inspired Jake Daniels

Josh Cavallo has had an extraordinary time in the past few months.

Last year, the 22-year-old footballer posted a video online and made an announcement that changed his life.

He is the only top-flight male professional footballer in the world to come out as gay.

He tells me that it was raw emotion and he wanted people to see how he felt.

I never thought there would be a day when I would say I was gay.

He looks very different from the person in the video. He is happy.

One of the first things he says is how happy he was that Jake Daniels came out.

It is amazing to know that I have influenced someone in such a small space of time.

Image source, Lee Parker - CameraSport

Jake Daniels was the first British professional male footballer to come out in more than 30 years. He said Josh was his inspiration. The two speak a lot.

My main advice to him is to enjoy who you are. This is your new life, so go out there and live it. I am very excited for the two of us. We are at the beginning of our career.

It is not always going to be a happy day. There will be days that are quite gloomy. Josh says that he is prepared for that.

Josh wanted to speak out after he won Young Player of the Year in his first season with Adelaide United. He told me something wasn't right.

When I received that award, I was sad but I looked happy. He says he wanted to change that.

I started my professional career in the closet after going through all my youth career. That is acting 24/7. It is constant lies and the pressure of being a professional football player on top of that.

He was overwhelmed by the reaction to his coming out.

To see the social media posts from celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, and all the big clubs in the Premier League, as well as the comments from the managers of those clubs. He tells me that it is nice to see.

He was touched when people around the world told him how he helped them.

If I open my phone now, I will see my message requests for mothers, fathers, boys and girls. He says that people have said that they helped his uncle or daughter.

The fans embraced him. He tells me that he has become more confident on the pitch since coming out.

I felt like there was a lot of bricks coming off my shoulders. He says it was an amazing feeling.

It has not always been easy. Josh is still dealing with negative comments.

There are games where I have been booed before, and I have heard something that is quite homophobic. He says that not everyone will love you for who you are.

Josh has been approached by many athletes.

A lot of athletes have reached out to me, from water polo to track and field to football in Australia. He says that some people are ready to come out and others just want to ask questions.

Few male football players have come out as gay. This makes the announcements of Josh Cavallo and Jake Daniels significant.

I couldn't find someone to look up to that was successful and gay.

I want the kids that are growing up now and identifying themselves as gay not to turn away from the sport. He adds that he would hate to hear that the next Messi orRonaldo is gay.

Josh hopes that Jake Daniels and him coming out as gay in the future will not be unusual. He acknowledges that this is a pivotal moment.

I can help people change their lives for the better and I am proud of that.