Tom Daley urges gay footballers to come out, says people will be surprised, supportive

British Olympic diver Tom Daley has urged gay footballers to come out, voicing his encouragement for them despite homophobic stigma surrounding the sport and said they would receive more praise than abuse they would be expecting.

Daley said that he thinks people would be surprised how supported they'd be if they were to come out in a football environment, but he added that one does not have to do a YouTube video and announce that they are straight.

Daley said that it should not be anyone's business and added that one should just be able to live their life the way they want to live it, The Independent reported.

The Olympian diver said that it comes down to each individual person, adding that at the time he individually felt ready, he did it and everyone's been really supportive.

Daley announced on YouTube in December 2013 that he was dating a guy. He said that discussing his decision to make the revelation via the video sharing site was pre-planned with his sporting sponsors to allow him to have full control of his own publicity.

Daley said that there were so many different opinions of what he should do, how he should do it, adding that a TV interview, a press interview, and all those different ideas.

He said that YouTube just felt natural and he was able to say everything he wanted to say without being asked any extra questions.

Daley is currently in a relationship with Hollywood screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, the report added.