A GAY Premier League star is "on the verge" of coming out after bravely sharing an open letter about his sexuality in The Sun.

The unnamed Premier League star spoke out via the Justin Fashanu Foundation about being too scared to come out to fans and his team-mates.

Former Norwich City star Justin Fashanu tragically killed himself in 1998, eight years after coming out as gay.

His niece Amal runs the foundation in Justin's name and she said the top-flight player is considering revealing his identity to the public after his anonymous letter was published in The Sun on Saturday.

She told TalkSport: "I think this footballer is on the verge, he's on the verge of coming out and he's trying to communicate it.

"I think this letter is a form of testing – so it's like testing the waters, we'll put it out there, see the reaction, see what people think without having to put my name out there any myself on the line… and I'll (decide to) come out or not."

She added: "This letter is the proof to me that we're moving forward."

Amal said it was a "shame" that in 2020 that he did not feel comfortable sharing his whole story.

"He's very afraid to tell anyone else," she said.

"His family knows and that's what is important to him now… for now he doesn't think it's something people will accept and people will understand."

Amal said the player is worried about the negative backlash he thinks he will receive if he comes out publicly.

After his letter was published in The Sun, the player said he was "relieved" that his feelings had been made public.

Amal said of the player: “He is relieved because it’s out there and has been done sensitively.”

She also revealed the charity had been deluged by messages of support and offers to help.

The player, one of seven the foundation is helping, said the secret was harming his mental health and he was considering retiring early so he can be open about his sexuality.

He said: “The truth is I don’t think football is ready yet for a player to come out.”

His letter was aimed at authorities and fans, in which he said he was taking the "huge step" of opening up over his ordeal.

But he says football is not ready for an openly gay player and he is scared to become the first to come out while still playing in the Premier League.

SPORT MUST CHANGE

CAMPAIGNING charity Stonewall praised “real movement within football” — but said attitudes still need to change across sport before everyone “feels free to be themselves”.

They added: “It’s vital that allies — fans, players, clubs and leading organisations — come out in support of LGBT rights and make sport a more accepting environment for all LGBT people. The burden of social change can’t solely lie on the shoulders of LGBT athletes.

“The more support there is, the easier it will become for athletes to be open about their sexuality.

“That’s why our Rainbow Laces campaign focuses on getting more people to be visible and fierce supporters of LGBT equality in sport.

“Our work will not be finished until all LGBT people — from fans to players alike — are accepted without exception.”

He is being supported by the Justin Fashanu Foundation, run by the tragic footballer’s niece Amal.

The charity, fighting homophobia and racism in football, handed us the letter to raise awareness of the issues facing gay stars.

In the letter, the player wrote: “I am gay. Even writing that down in this letter is a big step for me.

"But only my family members and a select group of friends are aware of my sexuality. I don’t feel ready to share it with my team or my manager.”

ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE

He goes on: “How does it feel having to live like this? Day-to-day, it can be an absolute nightmare. And it is affecting my mental health more and more.

“I feel trapped and my fear is disclosing the truth about what I am will only make things worse.”

There are currently no openly gay or bisexual male professional footballers in the UK.

But Watford captain Troy Deeney believes every team has at least one — and backed them to come out.

He said: “Once the first comes out, there would be loads.”

The PFA said it “welcomes the opportunity to work alongside any player who chooses to come out”.

The FA offered its “full support”.

Read the Premier League footballer's anguished open letter in full

AS a kid, all I ever wanted to be was a footballer.

I wasn’t interested in doing well at school.

Instead of doing homework, every spare minute I had was spent with a ball.

In the end it paid off.

But even now I still have to pinch myself when I run out and get to play each week in front of tens of thousands of people.

However there is something that sets me apart from most of the other players in the Premier League.

I am gay.

Even writing that down in this letter is a big step for me.

But only my family members and a select group of friends are aware of my sexuality. I don’t feel ready to share it with my team or my manager.

That’s hard. I spend most of my life with these guys and when we step out on the pitch we are a team.

But still, something inside me makes it impossible for me to be open with them about how I feel.

I dearly hope one day soon I will be able to.

I’ve known since I was about 19 that I was gay. How does it feel having to live like this?

Day-to-day, it can be an absolute nightmare.

And it is affecting my mental health more and more.

I feel trapped and my fear is that disclosing the truth about what I am will only make things worse.

So, although my heart often tells me I need to do it my head always says the same thing: “Why risk it all?”

I am lucky enough to earn a very good wage. I have a nice car, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and can afford to buy anything I want for my family and friends.

But one thing I am missing is companionship.

I am at an age where I would love to be in a relationship.

But because of the job I do the level of trust in having a long-term partner has to be extremely high.

So, at the moment, I avoid relationships at all.

I dearly hope I will soon meet someone who I think I will be able to trust enough.

The truth is I just don’t think football is ready yet for a player to come out.

The game would need to make radical changes in order for me to feel able to make that step. The Professional Footballers Association say they are ready to help a player to come out.

And they have said they will offer counselling and support to anyone who needs it.

This is missing the point. If I need a counsellor I can go and book a session with one whenever I want. What those running the game need to do is educate fans, players, managers, agents, club owners — basically everyone involved in the game.

If I was to make that step I’d want to know that I would be supported at each step of my journey. Right now, I don’t feel I would be.

I wish I didn’t have to live my life in such a way.

But the reality is there is still a huge amount of prejudice in football.

There are countless times I’ve heard homophobic chants and comments from supporters directed at no one in particular.

Strangely it doesn’t really bother me during the matches. I am too focused on playing.

It’s when I get back on the plane or the coach and I have time to think that it gets to me.

As things stand my plan is to carry on playing for as long as I feel able to and then come out when I have retired.

It was great last month to see Thomas Beattie raise his hand and admit to being gay. But the fact he had to wait until retirement tells you all you need to know.

Footballers are still too scared to make the step while they are playing.
For the past year I have been getting support from the Justin Fashanu Foundation, not least to cope with the toll this is all having on my mental health.

It is hard to put into words how much the Foundation has helped. It has made me feel supported and understood as well as giving me the confidence to be more open and honest with myself especially.

Without that support I really don’t know where I’d be now.

I know it might get to the point where I find it impossible to keep living a lie.

If I do my plan is to retire early and come out. I might be throwing away years of a lucrative career. But you can’t put a price on your peace of mind.

And I don’t want to live like this forever.

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