I'M a footballer and I'm proud to be gay.

Nine words; small in number but nevertheless hugely important and powerful ones, in their context.

They came from Australian A-League footballer Josh Cavallo, who recently became the only current top-tier male professional footballer in the world to come out as gay.

Given that at this moment in time, there are still currently no openly gay players in the English men's professional game, the Adelaide United midfielder's decision to reveal his sexuality is extremely important - and potentially groundbreaking.

"All I want to do is play football and be treated equally," said Cavallo, in an emotive and moving video.

 

Cavallo has received huge backing from within the football family, after posting the video.

The likes of Gary Lineker, Antoine Griezmann and Gerard Piqué joined a host of major Premier League and European clubs in voicing their support.

It may sound glib but the 21-year-old's decision to speak about his sexuality feels like a breakthrough moment for gay and bisexual professional footballers around the world.

But is being a gay professional footballer in English football any easier in 2021 than it was say, a decade ago?

Cavallo's announcement made the international headlines because sadly, so few professional male footballers have come out as gay while still being an active player.

Former Norwich City and Nottingham Forest star Justin Fashanu came out as gay, in 1990.

In February 2013, former Leeds United player Robbie Rogers became the second male soccer player in Britain to come out.

And after hanging up his boots in 2013, former Aston Villa, West Ham United and Everton midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, who is now Stuttgart's sporting director, publicly came out.

But in 2021, he remains the highest-profile male professional player to do so - and even now, examples remain few and far between.

Indeed, the number of openly gay and bisexual professional players in the English game is still depressingly low.

Yet there are signs of encouragement.

Referee James Adcock, who has presided over eight League Two matches so far this season, has recently spoken of his experiences of being an openly gay man.

Ryan Atkin, who has officiated in the National League this season, is also out while Cleethorpes Town's Liam Davis made history in 2017 by becoming the first openly gay footballer to play at Wembley, in the FA Vase final.

They may be small steps but there is a feeling that in the wake of Cavallo's announcement, things are changing for the better.

Gazette:

Colchester United head coach Hayden Mullins (pictured below) played more than 700 games in his successful professional career for the likes of West Ham United, Portsmouth and Crystal Palace.

The U's boss is well used to how a changing room works and despite the statistics perhaps showing otherwise, he believes that football is getting with the times.

"I think players are more comfortable coming out...it may just take one or two to do it," said Mullins.

"I know the lad at LA Galaxy (Robbie Rogers) did it before and this lad Josh (Cavallo).

"It may only take one or two but it's different times now, more modern.

"I think initially when I first started, it was seen as a bit of a taboo subject.

"There hadn't been too many players who had openly come out as gay and were perhaps scared about the scrutiny it might get.

"In more recent times, I don't think it would be an issue."

Colchester are supporters of the Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign, which aims to raise awareness and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender players and fans.

The U's players wore rainbow laces and captain's armband while there were also rainbow corner flags and fourth-official board stickers at their League Two clash with Grimsby Town at the JobServe Community Stadium, last December.

This year's Rainbow Laces Day is on Wednesday, December 8.

During the summer, Colchester gave a trial to young striker Richard Kone, who has openly spoken of being gay.

The Ivorian striker's proposed move to the U's did not materialise due to red tape and he remained at Essex Senior League side Athletic Newham.

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"It didn't change our opinions on him one bit," said Mullins.

"We were really keen to try and get Richard in the building but with the papers and bits and pieces and a lot of tape, we couldn't get it done.

"It was never an issue with us - it was all about the fact that he was a good player.

"Football is like that and I think that kind of taboo is gone now.

"It's a lot more accepted worldwide and I think football is the same.

"I think football is definitely with the times."

It is an assertion that Wolves and England defender Conor Coady agrees with.

"I hope we can soon get to a day when a football player feels supported enough to be their true selves on the football field... until that day, we all have some work to do," said Coady, who earlier this year was named Football Ally of the Year at the British LGBT Awards.

After openly coming out as gay, Cavallo says the response and support he has received has been 'immense'.

"I thought that people would think of me differently when they found out," he said.

"But that's not the case and if anything, you'll earn more respect from people."

Cavallo is already a pioneer, as the world's only current gay top-tier male professional footballer.

The hope is that it triggers a domino effect; that he will be a trailblazer for more to follow and for Mullins' heartening assertion that football is in fact with the times to be reinforced.