Andy Brennan has become the first Australian male footballer to come out as gay and insists he has “never felt better”.
Now with Melbourne-based Green Gully SC in Australia’s second tier, the former Newcastle Jets player admits he is relieved at removing the “burden” of hiding his sexuality.
“It’s taken me years to get comfortable saying this – I’m gay,” Brennan said in a statement on Instagram.
“I was scared it would affect my friendships, my teammates, and my family. But the support of the people around me has been so great and helped me get to the final step; being completely open.
“Being open is the best way for me to feel most comfortable and be myself. So… carry on!”
Brennan added in an interview with players' union Professional Footballers Australia that he tried to hide who he was due to fears about not being accepted.
“It got to a point where I had to realise that I had to accept who I am,” said the striker. “I thought about it a lot, tried to hide it, tried to push it aside, just because of the way I thought it would be perceived by a lot of people.
“I thought that if I ever came out, or spoke about it to people, that they might treat me differently, or not see me as who I am, so I was always worried about it.
“Fortunately I have, because I’ve never felt better.”
