Former Premier League star slams 'obsessive' desire to out gay footballers

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Martin Macdonald | Writer

Thomas Hitzlsperger, one of the very few openly gay footballers in the history of British football, has criticised the media for their "obsessive" desire to try and expose homosexual players.

The German joined Aston Villa at the age of 18 and went on to play for several other clubs, including Stuttgart, Lazio, West Ham, Everton and Wolfsburg.

In January 2014, four months after retiring from professional football, the former midfielder publicly came out as gay in an interview with German newspaper Die Zeit. He explained that he had only fully come to terms with his sexuality in the years leading up to his retirement and felt ready to speak openly about it once his playing career was over.

His decision was a significant moment in a sport often criticised for its culture of toxic masculinity. However, since Hitzlsperger came out, no other active Premier League player has publicly come out as gay.

He believes a major issue is that journalists want to exclusively reveal the identities of gay players to be first on a story rather than having a genuine desire tp help the individual.

"I just hope that footballers who are gay find a way to live happy lives," he told Four Four Two.

"Nowadays, there’s a strong desire from a number of journalists to break stories and it’s become almost obsessive.

"It’s very annoying, because it would be best to leave closeted players alone and let them find a way. It feels more about breaking the story of the next gay footballer and less about helping to really make a change.

"That’s something I don’t like – we have to be as supportive as we can, but don’t give the impression that we want to force people to come out because it’s for the greater good.

"While I embraced my identity as a gay man after my playing career, I had to discover what I wanted to do after retiring in 2013 at the age of 31.

"That transition applies to every single player and is about finding a new passion. For all of your life, you’ve been focused on your football career.

The former Aston Villa star believes the players coming out need to be promised more support for life after football as a gay man.

"Suddenly that’s over and you have to really think about what you want to do, – what you want to be in life, other than a former footballer," he added.

"It’s about finding your own structure, because for so long you’re being told when to show up for training, what to wear and what to do.

"It’s also about dealing with being on your own, no longer in the spotlight. You have to be able to live another successful career."

In 1990, Justin Fashanu publicly came out as gay in an interview with The Sun, becoming the first prominent British professional footballer to do so. His announcement was met with widespread homophobia, including hostility from sections of football, including rival supporters during matches. Despite this, Fashanu continued playing professionally for several clubs, including Notts County, Torquay United, Airdrieonians and Hearts.

Fashanu retired from professional football in 1997 and later moved to the United States. In 1998, he was investigated following an allegation of sexual assault, which he denied. He returned to England and, on 2 May 1998, died by suicide at the age of 37.

His death brought renewed attention to the intense pressures and homophobia he had experienced throughout his career. His legacy has since been recognised more positively: in 2020, he was inducted posthumously into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame.