MADRID, 16 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
English footballer for Blackpool FC Jake Daniels has made the decision to come out as gay after spending “his whole life hiding” his “true self”, and he hopes his announcement can help other people not to lie to “fit in”.
“Off the field, I have been hiding my true self and who I really am. I have known all my life that I am gay and now I feel like I am ready to come out and be myself,” he said in a statement posted on the team’s website. Championship, the English second division.
In this sense, the 17-year-old striker acknowledged that he has been forced to lie about his sexual orientation to “fit in”. “I’ve hated lying my whole life and felt the need to change to fit in. I want to be a role model by doing this,” he said.
“There are people in the same situation as me who may not feel comfortable revealing their sexuality. I just want to tell them that you don’t have to change who you are, or how you should be, just to fit in. Being you and being happy is the most important thing,” he added. .
Daniels, who made his debut this year with the first team, assured that he is taking “a step into the unknown” by being one of the first footballers in England to reveal my homosexuality. “Josh Cavallo, Matt Morton and athletes from other sports, like Tom Daley, have inspired me to have the courage and determination to make a change,” he said.
In addition, he thanked the support of his family, his club, his agent and his youth teammates. “My team-mates at Blackpool accepted the news and supported my decision to open up and tell people this,” he explained.
For its part, Blackpool Football Club was “incredibly proud” that Daniels can “express himself both on and off the pitch.” “It is essential that everyone promote an environment in which people feel comfortable being themselves and that football leads the elimination of any form of discrimination and prejudice,” he wished.