Celtic captain Scott Brown says it will be “brilliant” when football welcomes its first openly gay player.
The 34-year-old added he would “love to see a player comfortable enough to come out at Celtic” and added that the club would be “accepting, no matter what”.
Brown said it would be “incredibly tough” for the first professional to come out but believes it would “great” for the game.
The veteran midfielder hopes any gay player would choose to confide in him and he would “help in any way, shape or form I can”.
Homophobia remains a blight in Scottish football and elsewhere.
Brown also launched an attack on racism against his fellow players and internet trolls who target those in the sport.
He spoke out as he prepares for another season with the Parkhead outfit, 12 years after his £4.4million move from Hibs.
The Celtic skipper has won a reputation for toughness on the field but opened his heart about the plight of gay footballers.
He said: “Being gay or bisexual shouldn’t matter in football. As soon as you put that strip on, you’re one of us – no matter who you are. It must be hard being a gay footballer. They say there’s one in every dressing room and to hide it must be tough.
“I hope that someone does feel comfortable enough to come out because I can’t imagine having to hide who you are.
“Not coming out to the lads around you must be so hard but I know that at Celtic Park, we would be accepting.
“I’d love to see a player comfortable enough to come out at Celtic.
“I think everyone down in England thinks Scotland is a much harder place but we’re very soft-hearted beneath it all sometimes.”
Brown spoke to Paddy Power’s Pitch Invader magazine, which Record readers will get free and exclusively inside Monday’s paper.
The bookmaker is sponsoring Brighton Pride 2019 as part of its drive against homophobia in football, in partnership with Gay Times.
Former Scotland star Brown said he would back gay players and would be unconcerned about being targeted by homophobes because of his support.
He added: “I’d like people to know that I’m there. I’d never judge someone for their sexuality, or have a problem with it and I’d be happy to sit down and chat to someone about it.
“I know what a huge step it must be and if someone wanted to speak to me confidentially, I would be there for them.
“Some people might want to quietly tell their family, friends and teammates and I’d be there to support them. I know it’s always going to be hard but I will be there to help someone in any way, shape or form that I can.
“Being captain of Celtic and a captain of Scotland for many years, I know it’s always going to be so hard for somebody to come out.
“No matter who does it, or when it is that someone comes out, it’ll be brilliant for football as a whole.
“It’s going to be incredibly tough for that first person but I believe it’ll be great for football to become more accepting.
“Whoever does come out in football will get a lot of respect and they deserve that.”
Dunfermline-born Brown, who has 55 caps for Scotland, married wife Lisa in 2009 and the couple have three sons.
He added that racism is still a problem at Scottish grounds and also among sick online trolls.
Brown said: “I tweet and use Instagram but talk about Celtic stuff. If people want to give me a bit of grief on social media, I don’t mind that.
“I don’t bite back at anyone but it’s getting harder and harder. I’ve had teammates that have been racially abused through social media, as well as the terraces, and it’s really hard to take.
“I’ve seen racism towards my teammates and the impact that can have on them and the team.
“They’re my mates and are getting bullied and racially abused. It’s not nice to see that. The lads in the team stick together, so we find it tough to take when we see that level of abuse.”
