A man claiming to be a gay English Championship footballer is gearing up to reveal his identity on social media, tweeting out an exact date to his more than 40,000 followers - July 24th, 2019.
While many claim the account is fake, the user has a number of professional footballers in his list of followers, some of whom have tweeted out their support.
Footballer Marvin Sordell, who plays forward for Burton Albion, tweeted: “Wish you nothing but good fortune with this next step in life. So many things will be said, but your vulnerability in this situation is such a powerful sign of your strength! I’ve got huge respect for you doing something that is monumental for our sport.”
The man's Twitter bio reads: "I'm a professional footballer, currently playing in The Championship. I will reveal my identity soon, but I am a PROUD gay man."
In the lead-up to his coming out, the anonymous account has tweeted statements of gratitude to his family and football club for their support.
“Further, within the context of football it was reassuring for them to be fully aware that performance and consistency is based around individuals that are at peace with themselves and the decision to be open is instrumental in ensuring I can be myself,” he wrote.
“Also, I want to reinforce the gratitude I have to my family – their love and support has been consistent throughout my life but has been all the more visible, and needed, over recent days. I would also like to thank those who have offered support across social and mainstream media.”
According to , if not a hoax, 'The Gay Footballer' would become the first openly gay footballers in the UK.
One way or another, I guess we'll know in a few short days.
