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However, one pro player in the English men’s game – Jake Daniels – was very visible with his coming out last year. 

Daniels spoke exclusively with Sky Sports News’ Tim Thornton to tell his story, as well as working with his club, Blackpool, and Stonewall.

When discussing why he chose to come out, Daniels said at the time: “Now is the right time to do it. I feel like I am ready to tell people my story. I want people to know the real me.

“I have been thinking for a long time about how I want to do it, when I want to do it. I know now is the time. I am ready to be myself, be free and be confident with it all.”

A year on, the teenager has become a trailblazer in men’s football for gay players. When asked if he feels like he has created a pathway for others, Daniels told Sky Sports News: “I like to think I have.

“We’ve had three or four people come out since I did. I’m proud to be a role model for other people to come out.

“For me, it was ‘don’t live your life to try and please someone else’. If you’re gay and you want to come out, but you’re scared of how people will react, it’s a massive thing to be able to do it.

“But don’t just live your life to try and make other people happy – that was one thing I definitely learnt.

“I thought it would have been a scary place and time, but it wasn’t. It was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

SO, will we see a gay Premier league footballer in the coming years?

It’s worth noting that we have previously seen footballers come out as gay after playing in the English top-flight. Former Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger shared his story in January 2014, and the first openly gay professional footballer – Justin Fashanu – played in the old First Division before coming out in 1990.

But as yet, we have not seen a member of a Premier League first-team squad publicly identify as gay or bi.

When asked if this was likely to happen in the coming years, Liz Ward said: “I really hope so because the amount of outpouring of love and support that came for the likes of Josh Cavallo and Jake Daniels was incredible and also really inspiring.

“More than anything else, Premier League footballers are role models for young kids growing up around the country and for adults. So having a role model like that, who also shares and identifies with you, is so impactful and empowering.

“I hope we can feel that joy in the next five or 10 years, and I really hope it happens within the next 20 years.”

Daniels too is optimistic that we will see an out gay footballer playing in the Premier League.

“I’m hoping to see it in the next couple of years,” he said. “With myself coming out and others coming out after me, it’s got the ball rolling in football.

“It would be a proud moment. Being the highest [level] player to come out so far, it’s such a massive achievement for me. If someone was to come out even higher, it just shows there are more players out there.

“I think it would get even more recognition. They’re playing in front of thousands of fans each week and it would be such a massive thing for the LGBTQ+ community.”

I’m hoping to see it in the next couple of years. With myself coming out and others coming out after me, it’s got the ball rolling in football… If someone was to come out even higher, it just shows there are more players out there. I think it would get even more recognition. They’re playing in front of thousands of fans each week and it would be such a massive thing for the LGBTQ+ community.

–Blackpool footballer Jake Daniels

When it comes to a suggested timeframe, Holmes is less keen to speculate. With so many factors to consider, and a person’s own timeline the most important, he is reluctant to make any prediction.

“People were asking this question back in 2010 because of the rate of change that society was going through, such as on equal marriage and greater visibility of LGBTQ+ people in different walks of life. There was an expectation that at some point, the men’s pro game and the top-flight would have that role model figure.

“But it hasn’t happened yet, and now we’re living in a world where social media attention makes it a lot more challenging to be out.

“We know that some of these social media platforms are becoming increasingly toxic and the amount of homophobia there is online would make a player considering doing this think very carefully.

“It’s up to the individual. For example, you might have someone who’s fallen in love, and who wakes up tomorrow and wants to tell the world about that. You can’t predict if, when or how that will happen.”