Leeds striker Patrick Bamford praised Australian footballer Josh Cavallo for being the only openly gay top-flight footballer in the world but added that there are 'still issues’ in the sport.
Cavallo, 21, who plays for Adelaide United, posted a video on social media this week in which he said he 'I’m a footballer and I’m gay', revealing that he had previously felt ashamed tormented.
The video made Cavallo the only active player in any men’s top-flight league in the world to have publicly stated they are gay or bisexual.
Responding to the video, Patrick Bamford told Football Joe; “I think it was an incredibly brave thing, what he did. The thing that astonishes me still, to the day we’re in, is how that’s actually a news story because it shouldn’t be.
“Someone coming out as gay shouldn’t be a big shock or a big surprise or something that gets everyone talking. It shouldn’t be something that people raise their eyebrow at.
“So I feel like what he’s done is set the way. To use Marcus Rashford as an example, completely different fields, but he hopefully has given people confidence who maybe were struggling.
“I think he said he was struggling with his sexuality for, was it, six years. So I think hopefully he will have paved the way for others. And as he said, there’s still issues in football.”
Bamford then revealed how he thought Leeds players would react if one of the squad was openly gay.
Bamford said: “If someone in our changing room was to come out as gay I know that every single person in the changing room would be fine with it. There wouldn’t be any issue.
“Things are changing, but they are changing for the better. But it’s just a slow process and hopefully it does help with a lot of people.”
