'Being gay in men's football is a very toxic place'

"You don't beryllium connected this earth" ... "Why are you here?" ... "Stop breathing."

Since coming retired arsenic gay successful 2021, footballer Josh Cavallo has received regular decease threats and abusive messages connected societal media.

"When I first saw these messages it collapsed my heart," Cavallo tells BBC Sport. "No-one wants to publication things for illustration that.

"I'm trying to get amended arsenic a subordinate and beryllium nan champion I tin beryllium connected nan pitch, and past get put down because of who I americium arsenic a person. It's disgusting."

Midfielder Cavallo was astatine Adelaide United 4 years agone erstwhile he became nan only openly cheery top-flight antheral master footballer successful nan world.

This summertime he near Australia to subordinate non-league Peterborough Sports, who play successful beforehand of crowds of astir 400 successful National League North, nan sixth tier of English football.

The 25-year-old combines playing for nan Cambridgeshire part-timers by speaking up connected LGBTQ+ issues and utilizing his floor plan - he has much than 1 cardinal followers connected Instagram - to champion equality and inclusion.

"Absolutely, we've sewage mountains to do," Cavallo says erstwhile asked if shot still has a problem pinch homophobia.

"I don't spell much than a week without proceeding astir an issue."

It took years for Cavallo to activity up nan courageousness to opportunity "I'm gay" earlier coming retired connected 27 October 2021.

"All I want to do is play shot and beryllium treated equally," he said successful an accompanying video.

In 2014 erstwhile Aston Villa and Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger announced he was gay aft retiring from football.

Cavallo was 21 and making a sanction for himself astatine Adelaide United successful Australia's apical formation when, pinch nan support of his team-mates, he publically came out.

"I didn't cognize what was up of me. I didn't cognize what to expect," he says. "It felt for illustration nan correct clip successful my life. I wanted to return nan adjacent measurement forward."

His affectional coming retired video, entitled 'Josh's Truth',, external went viral connected societal media.

"My mobile telephone exploded pinch messages of support. It was overwhelming."

Liverpool were 1 of galore high-profile clubs astir nan world to definitive support for Cavallo, pinch past head Jurgen Klopp saying: "I'm really thankful that he did it because now we talk again."

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique besides offered support, penning connected societal media that "the world of shot is acold down and you are helping america move forward", while Adelaide United issued a connection backing their "remarkable" and "brave" player.

Others, however, were not truthful accepting.

Cavallo quickly became a target of homophobic maltreatment by guidance fans.

In January 2022 Melbourne Victory were fined A$5,000 (£2,500) complete anti-gay maltreatment from fans directed astatine Cavallo during a match.

"The things I'd perceive were hurtful and derogatory towards my community," he says.

"I didn't respond because I knew that would only provender nan haters."

There was a frightening incident astatine a petrol position successful Australia, wherever Cavallo was physically attacked by personification who recognised him from nan coverage.

"That was a scary moment," he recalls. "I retrieve reasoning 'this is existent - group want to harm me'.

"Is it acceptable? Absolutely not. But by coming out, this is what it brings.

"I dream nan adjacent personification who comes retired while playing shot astatine a precocious level doesn't person to acquisition nan way I person experienced."

Cavallo says nan daily decease threats and abusive messages person taken a toll connected his intelligence health.

"It's rather sad because I americium having to explicate why I merit a spot connected nan shot section for being who I americium arsenic a person," he says.

"We don't beryllium consecutive group down and inquire 'why should you beryllium successful football?'.

"A batch of group spot maine arsenic a smiling, affirmative person. But location are days erstwhile I thin connected my fiance, Leighton, and he gets to spot a batch that happens down nan scenes."

Cavallo's determination to uncover his sexuality helped punctual 17-year-old Blackpool guardant Jake Daniels to come out arsenic nan UK's only openly cheery progressive antheral master footballer successful May 2022.

However, location are nary openly cheery aliases bisexual players successful nan Premier League.

"It would move mountains," says Cavallo connected nan effect a Premier League subordinate coming retired would make.

"But I'm not going to sugar-coat it. There are a batch of scary things that would travel this person's way. In nan world of football, being an openly cheery subordinate is simply a very toxic place."

Twenty-seven years aft Justin Fashanu - Britain's first openly cheery antheral footballer - took his ain life successful 1998, Cavallo has spoken astir nan "toxic masculinity" that still exists successful men's football.

"You conscionable request to spell to a lucifer and spot nan dispute situation and masculinity that nan crowd brings," he says.

"There is still a batch of activity that needs doing to make judge location is simply a safe abstraction successful shot for group for illustration myself and Jake.

"We haven't seen it (more players coming out) arsenic overmuch arsenic we would like.

"I tin only support pushing for what I deliberation is right, and activity towards taking retired nan toxic masculinity successful shot changing rooms and creating a safe space."

How has Cavallo been received successful nan dressing room astatine Peterborough Sports?

"Really positively. Everyone has been nice. The respect is there. I had offers successful different countries earlier coming to Peterborough.

"It wasn't astir picking nan nine playing astatine nan highest level. It was astir uncovering a nine wherever I was going to beryllium comfortable. The measurement Peterborough Sports was sold to maine was thing I could beryllium comfortable pinch and beryllium who I americium disconnected nan pitch."

Tim Woodward, proprietor of Peterborough Sports, says location was ne'er immoderate uncertainty that Cavallo would beryllium warmly welcomed by supporters.

"It was a large measurement for Josh to time off Australia but he has settled really well," he says.

"I didn't expect immoderate homophobic maltreatment from our fans. They've really taken to Josh whenever he has played.

"We person systems successful spot to protect Josh should thing for illustration that happen."

Woodward said Peterborough Sports, who appointed erstwhile Hull City leader Phil Brown arsenic head successful September, signed Cavallo aft watching videos of him astatine Adelaide United.

"Josh said he wanted to travel to England but was unsure astatine what level to transportation himself at," says Woodward.

"There's been a alteration of guidance since Josh signed and he has been connected nan chair recently. Phil has sewage to spot what he is each about, but Josh's clip will come."

Cavallo says shot has allowed him to person conversations wrong dressing rooms astir coming out.

However, he is captious of Fifa, world football's governing body, aft Qatar, wherever same-sex relationships are illegal, hosted nan men's World Cup successful 2022.

The 2034 tourney will beryllium held successful Saudi Arabia, wherever homosexuality is besides illegal.

"Am I impressed that nan World Cup is successful countries that criminalise same-sex marriages, wherever group for illustration maine will beryllium put successful situation for conscionable existing connected that land? It's scary," says Cavallo.

"I get messages [from group surviving successful these countries] saying 'I'm astir to beryllium put successful situation for being who I americium - tin you thief me?'.

"It breaks my bosom that group are getting locked up for being who they are.

"There are countries that are immense successful position of shot and fanbases and they don't judge LGBTQ+ people. Those are nan countries that thin to target me."

Despite this, Cavallo says he will not extremity speaking up.

"Football has allowed maine to commencement conversations successful nan changing room. It has allowed maine to speak and amended group who want to study more.

"Not everyone is going to for illustration you for who you are. But I person recovered my family. I person recovered my community.

"My intent is to create change. That's what I'm present for."

If you person been affected by immoderate of nan issues aliases emotions raised successful this article, thief and support is disposable at BBC Action Line.