Josh Cavallo has opened up on the "scary territory" he faced before coming out as gay as he insisted that "love always wins".
The Adelaide United star became the first active top-flight footballer to come out in October last year, receiving a wave of support from across the sport. Cavallo has become a key figure in supporting LGBT+ rights within football ever since he came out, which has seen him crowned Man of the Year at the Attitude Awards.
The fullback has done so in the face of homophobic abuse, including during an A League match last season.
But despite being confronted by the abuse, Cavallo has insisted he will continue to help people struggling with the burden of being in the closet.
“Is it OK? No, it’s not. Unfortunately, being the first out footballer, I knew that I’m going to have to run through this at some stage in my career, whether it’s in Australia, or somewhere else," he told Attitude.
"This is what I have to do and this is what I’m prepared to do to lay the path out for the future generations, the current people or people older than me, that feel like they want to come and play football.
“It’s scary territory because you don’t know what to expect or what’s going to come your way. I’m a very strong person, I can deal with the hate when I know that I’m out there saving lives. I know how hard it is to not be out and to be in the closet.
"I’m here to help them, support them and pave the way for them. Don’t get me wrong, I do get some hate, but the amount of love I get, it outweighs any sort of hate thrown my way. So, that’s the way I deal with it going forward.”
Cavallo has also admitted to being overwhelmed that he has become a beacon for others who are going through the start of the process of coming out. In a message of hope to those people, the Australian has revealed that being his true self to the world was the best decision he has made.
"I wanted to help others and to show that it’s possible to be yourself and comfortable in your own skin. I wanted to take that leap, and it was quite a scary leap, I’m not going to lie; it left me quite vulnerable," he added.
"For me it is almost like I was closing this old chapter of myself, this old book and opening a new book, and it was a really exciting moment. I love that my story is a space where anyone struggling can be themselves and be guided by my experience.
"That’s kind of the way I wanted it to happen. The way I wanted to share it is to help others as well, whether that’s non-binary, transgender, or anyone that feels they need help to become the person they’ve always dreamed about.
“For six years, I’ve been a professional footballer. Nothing’s changed and, if anything, it’s evolved my football for the better. At the end of the day, all I have to do is wake up and be Josh and that’s enough for people, so it’s really exciting. Love always wins.”
