A 17-year-old player has come out, becoming the only openly gay male professional footballer in Britain.
Blackpool forward Jake Daniels said he has received "amazing support" from his teammates after telling them about his sexuality.
He is the first professional player in British men's football to come out publicly since Justin Fashanu.
In an interview with Sky Sports News, he said he felt ready to "be myself" after "such a long time of lying" about who he is.
The striker said he originally felt the need to hide his sexuality to become a professional footballer and wait until he was retired to come out.
But I just knew that was just such a long time of just lying and not being able to have what I want," he said.
The teenager has said he was fed up of lying about who he really isBlackpool's hot prospect, who has scored 30 goals for the under-19s this season, signed a professional contract with the club in February.
He made his first team debut earlier this month on the last day of the season, and played a major role in the team's run to the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup, scoring against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
On coming out, he said: "For a long time I've thought I would have to hide my truth because I wanted to be, and now I am, a professional footballer. I asked myself if I should wait until I've retired to come out. No other player in the professional game here is out.
"However, I knew that would lead to a long time of lying and not being able to be myself or lead the life that I want to.
"Since I've come out to my family, my club and my teammates, that period of overthinking everything and the stress it created has gone. It was impacting my mental health.
"Now I am just confident and happy to be myself finally."
Daniels said he knew he was gay at around age five or six, and that he initially believed that football and being gay didn't mix.
"So all the way through my life I was like, 'It's fine, you'll get a girlfriend when you're older and you'll change and it'll be fine'."
"And as you do get older you realise you just can't… and it's just something you won't be able to do.
"I've had girlfriends in the past to try and make all my mates think I'm straight, and it was just a massive cover-up. So it has been a struggle."
Daniels said that hiding who he really was had an impact on his mental health as he dealt with "overthinking and stress".
But he says now "it is all gone and I'm confident and happy to be myself, finally".
