Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Jacob Leeks

Trailblazing Jake Daniels blasts Qatar World Cup and asks: 'Why should I hide who I am?'

The first professional English footballer to come out as gay for more than 30 years has slammed the decision to play the World Cup in Qatar.

Blackpool striker Jake Daniels made the courageous move to come out in May, the first professional English player to do so since Justin Fashanu. Daniels is just 17, but if he had been called up to the England squad for this winter's World Cup, he has admitted he would not feel comfortable playing.

The tournament is to be played in Qatar, which is one most dangerous places in the world to be a member of the LGBT+ community. Homosexuality is outlawed in the Middle Eastern country, with LGBT+ Qataris revealing they have been arrested and beaten by security forces.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.