Match of the Day host says reaction would be positive if Premier League stars opened up about their sexuality

Gary Lineker shared his thoughts on why gay male footballers fear coming out(Image: The FA via Getty Images)

Gary Lineker says he hopes a gay male footballer comes out at the top level – and is “applauded for their bravery”. The former England striker shared his thoughts when asked why he thinks it’s hard for players to be open about their sexuality.

Gary said of Premier League stars: “If the first one comes out, a player at the top level, I think others will follow. It’s easy for me to say they should do it. It’s hard to know how difficult it is. There’s probably a bit of fear involved.” England’s only openly gay male professional footballer is Blackpool FC striker Jake Daniels.

Gary Lineker faces some tricky questions on ITV’s The Assembly

Lineker, 64, added: “I think if a player came out the reaction would be positive and applaud them for the bravery of doing it.”

The outgoing Match of the Day presenter was also asked about whether or not he’d be going to the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is illegal.

“No, I won’t be there,” revealed Gary. “Hopefully by 2034 that has changed, I hope.”

His comments came in ITV show The Assembly, in which stars are quizzed by interviewers who are neurodivergent, autistic or learning disabled.

Asked how he avoided a booking in his 16-year career for clubs like Leicester City and Spurs, he said: “I never tackled anyone. It’s impossible now to go through a career without being booked. In my day you’d have to have committed grievous bodily harm to be booked.”

Asked how he would like to be remembered, Gary mused: “I don’t mind what people think about me. People have opinions about people when they don’t have any idea what they’re like. People thought I’m a good footballer. I was born to be in the box, I learnt to be on the box and very soon I’ll be in a box. It’s been fun.

“I’ve been incredibly lucky. I wonder why I have been so blessed. But I’m thankful.”

Gary will leave Match of The Day at the end of the football season (Image: BBC/Pete Dadds)

Earlier in the episode Gary opened up about his BBC suspension. He said: “It was a crazy week. It upset me, having all the press outside my house every minute of the day for five or six days. It got a bit silly.”

But said support from his colleagues meant a lot to him. “It was actually also lovely, because the backing I got from the people I work with was beautiful,” he said.

Lineker had posted that language used by Suella Braverman over the stop the boats asylum policy was “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 1930s”.

But after he was suspended, many of his colleagues in BBC Sport declined to stand in for him, including Alex Scott and Alan Shearer.

Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will replace Gary in the famous Match of the Day chair

The Assembly: Gary Lineker is on ITV1 at 10pm tomorrow night.