John Fashanu

Blackpool striker Jake Daniels' decision to come out as gay this week came more than 30 years after Justin Fashanu (pictured) revealed his sexuality in a ...

The player was criticised by his brother for making the revelations I hope his decision to speak openly gives others the confidence to do the same.' Justin Fashanu with his foster mother Betty Jackson. When his parents split up, he and his brother, John, were sent to a Barnardo's home. He wrote in a suicide note: 'I realised that I had already been presumed guilty. Justin Fashanu hit headlines worldwide in 1990 when he became the first professional footballer to come out as gay. Praising the player today, Prince William said on Twitter: 'Football should be a game for everyone. The player never made an appearance for the main England team After coming out, Justin's career continued to decline. Fashanu poses with a football in 1990, the year that he came out as gay in a newspaper interview. In 2018, John Fashanu admitted that he had been a 'monster' to his brother when he came out as gay. Above: Fashanu in 1981 His strike against Liverpool in 1980 was Match of the Day's Goal of the Season, marking the player out as a hero in the eyes of Norwich fans.