Ian McKellen has branded Blackpool player Jake Daniels a “hero” after becoming the first UK professional male footballer to come out as gay in 32 years.
The last professional UK male footballer to come out as gay was Justin Fashanu in 1990.
On Monday (17 May), 17-year-old Daniels, who recently signed his first professional contract with the club, made history as he shared the news publicly that he is gay.
“I have been thinking for a long time about how I want to do it, when I want to do it,” he said.