Watford striker Troy Deeney claims there is probably one gay player in every football team. Deeney believes gay footballers are worried about shouldering the responsibility of publicly coming out but feels one doing so would lead to masses following their lead. Former Norwich and Nottingham Forest striker Justin Fashanu, who declared he was gay in 1990 and died in 1998, remains the only openly gay male footballer in British history.
Troy Deeney said “I would go on record saying that there is probably one gay or bi person in every football team. They’re there, they are 100% there. I think people that are gay or from that community definitely are very worried about having to shoulder the responsibility of being the first. I think once the first comes out, there would be loads. If he come out and said it, I genuinely believe you would get in the first week at least 100 people that went ‘me too’. Just because they don’t want to be the face of it. I also wonder, why people finish football, rugby, whatever the sport it might be, and then go ‘I am gay’… I feel like it must be a real heavy load to carry throughout all your whole sporting career.”
