Katie McCabe has hailed teenage Blackpool midfielder Jake Daniels for his recent decision to come out - and the Arsenal and Ireland ace says she hopes to be at next year’s Dublin Pride parade.
The openly gay footballer, whose partner Ruesha Littlejohn is also in the Ireland squad in Tbilisi, believes Daniels’ decision to speak out at the age of 17 can spur other male players to do the same.
She said: “I released a tweet off the back of what Jake Daniels had said, when he came out.
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“I think it’s fantastic to see. I listened to his interview and I couldn’t believe he was only 17 or 18 years old, and how mature he spoke and how strong he was for doing it.
“It’s obviously a difficult thing within the men’s game, but I hope he knows and feels all the love and support around the world.
“I saw a lot of high profile Premier League players coming out and giving him their support, and that goes a long way.
“For me it’s fantastic to see. It’s all positive off the back of what Jake Daniels has done. I think we are going in the right direction with that. But yeah, it’s obviously a process.
“I don’t know what it’s like in the men’s game, but when you see players like Jake come out, it’s only a good thing and it helps all the LGBTQ people in the right way.
“For me, it’s great to see.”
McCabe can’t make this weekend’s festivities as she is on the other side of Europe where she is preparing for Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Georgia.
“I’d love to be at home and to see the Dublin Pride this year,” she said. “It’s been a few years since I’ve been back, so maybe next year I’ll get to be in the parade.
“It’s fantastic to see and I’ll obviously have a lot of friends and family there. I’ll see the celebrations from afar. It’s all good and all positive.”
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