Hitzlsperger: ‘Coming out impossible before I retired’
By Will Stroude
Thomas Hitzlsperger has said that it would have been “almost impossible” for him to have come out during his football career.
The former midfielder – who played for Premier League teams Aston Villa and Everton during the course of his career – came out publicly in January this year, four months after announcing his retirement from professional football.
When asked by Metro whether it would be possible for someone to come out while still playing, Hitzlsperger said that the level of media interest would have stopped him from speaking out about his sexuality.
“I did so many interviews and it took up all of my time, so it would have been difficult to go back into training as if nothing had happened,” he said.
“For me it would have been almost impossible had I still been playing – not because of the fans or the other players, but because of the media.”
The 31-year-old added that he wasn’t aware of any other gay players, saying: “It’s maybe because I didn’t talk to my team mates because I didn’t think it was appropriate.
“We must do the groundwork no so gay players in the future can come out if they want to and be accepted in the dressing room and in the grounds.”
Fellow Premier League star Joey Barton has also spoken out about the game’s lack of openly gay stars today (September 8), saying that he ‘doesn’t know’ whether people can expect a high-profile player to come out in the near future.
Related stories:
‘Rainbow Laces’ ad aims to kick homophobia out of football
Wenger: ‘Maybe no Premiership player will come out’