German international footballer comes out

The former German international footballer star, Thomas Hitzlsperger has become the most high-profile professional footballer to come out.

Hitzlsperger the former Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton premier league player also played for Lazio in Italy and represented Germany 52 times. He played in a World Cup a European Championships and won the Bundesliga with Stuttgart.

In a video released on Wednesday, January 8, he explained he had only realised in the last few years that he preferred ‘living together with a man’ and he now ‘wanted to help further the debate about homosexuality among sports professionals’.

Hitzlsperger 31, who retired from playing professional football through injury in September 2013, said: “In England, Italy and Germany being a homosexual is no big thing, at least not in the dressing room.”

“I was never ashamed of being who I am but it was not always easy to sit on a table with 20 young men and listen to jokes about gays. You let them get on with it as long as the jokes are somewhat funny and not too insulting.

He continued: “Being gay is a topic that is ‘ignored’ in football and is not ‘a serious topic in the changing room’. Fighting spirit, passion and winning mentality are intrinsically linked, that doesn’t fit the cliché: ‘Gays are soft'”.

He said he was sure it would not be long before a footballer playing in the Premier League came out while he was still playing, however he added that he personally did not know any player who was gay.

Former footballing stars Gary Lineker and Joey Barton where among the first to Twitter their congratulations to Hitzlsperger.

Chris Basiurski, Chair of the Gay Football Supports Netowrk, said: “We really welcome this news, its shows that we are moving one step closer to creating that atmosphere in football where players at all levels would be able to come out should they want to, safely and free from discrimination. We hope that one day current players would feel able to come out and that eventually a player’s sexual orientation not be a news story, but for now we wish Thomas Hitzlesperger well.”

Last year former Leeds United footballer Robbie Rodgers came out after retiring through injury and more recently olympic bronge medalist Tom Daley revealed he was in a relationship with a man.