Jake Daniels, the UK’s only ‘out’ gay player in professional men’s football, says “gay life is the best’ after helping to launch a new campaign

Jake Daniels, the UK’s only ‘out’ gay player in professional men’s football, said “gay life is the best” after helping to launch a new campaign.

Daniels, who has spent most of the season on loan at non-league club Warrington Rylands, features alongside Nicole Chui, co-founder of Baesianz FC, a London-based team for women, trans and nonbinary people, in the new campaign from Scottish footwear retailer Schuh.

The Together Hits Different campaign “focuses on the intersectional crossroads where two people meet and use their freedom of self-expression to act as a catalyst for their communities”.

Speaking recently to Gaydio to promote the initiative, Daniels says he wants to tackle negative attitudes towards sexuality.

“There are so many ‘out’ gay women playing. Why is it so different? What confuses me is why people still have hatred towards being gay. I don’t get it at all.

“I didn’t choose to be gay, no one chooses that — it’s how they’re born. But I’m so happy. I feel that people who aren’t gay are kind of missing out, to be honest. I always say gay life is the best!”

On coming out in 2022, Daniels became the first UK-based ‘out’ gay male pro footballer since Justin Fashanu. He is now just one of just five ‘out’ gay or bi athletes known to be currently playing men’s football on professional contracts anywhere in the world (the others are American midfielder Collin Martin, Australians Josh Cavallo and Andy Brennan and Czech winger Jakub Jankto).

In the radio interview, he says “people judge too much” and bemoans the “ridiculous” situation of countries who still retain the death penalty for gay relationships.

He wants senior leaders within men’s football to do more to help counter the hate.

“We’ve got the Rainbow Laces [campaign] and the armband that we tried to wear in the World Cup that didn’t go through, so we do have things that we’re trying to implement.

“But always something seems to go wrong or they’re not bringing out a big enough message.”

He says he often feels “scrutinised, just for being gay” but has vowed not to step back from the advocacy work.

“There are so many people trying to make sports more inclusive so big props to them, and I just want to be a part of that journey for the football world.”