Patrick Bamford claims there's been a big change in the attitude of players towards the Rainbow Laces campaign for the better. The Leeds United striker said players were originally worried over what people may think if they wore the symbol of support in their boots, but now, is happy that it's now a norm.
Speaking to Sky Sports Premier League, with Sky presenter Mark McAdam - who came out in 2014 - Bamford talked about the need for using his platform in a positive way. During which, McAdam said he embarked upon a journey where he wanted to make football a more inclusive place.
Bamford said: "The viewpoint on gay footballers was such a stone age view. Football is a game for everyone, so why should there be any differences for anybody?
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"In order to be a good role model it's understanding the influence you can have, not just on kids but everyone who looks up to you and is setting the right examples. If they're going to follow you, setting you on the right pathway to how you want the world to look.
"Campaigns like the Barclays Community Football Fund and Rainbow Laces, the main influence is raising awareness and getting more people to talk about it, becomes a popular theme, then people feel more comfortable in that kind of situation. It keeps growing and growing and you see the big changes years down the line, but it has to start somewhere.
"For me, I want to use my platform to make change and make change for the better really. People should feel comfortable going to watch a football game no matter what their sexual orientation is, race or ethnicity.
When asked about the dialogue in the changing room around the Rainbow Laces campaign, Bamford said: "Do you know what, it's changed a lot. I remember when the Rainbow Laces came out people were saying they didn't want to wear them.
"Not because they weren't supporting of it, more because they were scared if people see them wearing that 'are people going to think I'm gay?' it wasn't about that.
"Now, from where that was, people have just put them in their boots and people aren't making a big thing of it which is almost crucial. Sometimes making a big thing of things doesn't make it normal if you know what I mean, we need to make it normal and as accepted as so.
"Football has always been described as a 'mans game' and how wrong is that in todays kind of world. It really is a game for everyone, supporting it, playing in it, being in the industry. It doesn't matter if you're a girl, a guy, what your sexual orientation is.
"If one of the lads in the changing room was gay and came up to me and said that he was gay, it wouldn't make a difference at all. I think now, everyone wants to win on a Saturday so when they go onto the pitch they're not going to think 'hang on a minute, he's just told me he's gay,' that doesn't change anything.
"You're still footballers. You're still trying to get the same end result so what's the difference?"
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