Hitzlsperger is the most high profile footballer to ever come out. A former German international and Premier League footballer has come out, just four months after his retirement from the sport. "I am expressing my sexuality because I want to promote the discussion of homosexuality among professional athletes," Midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger has told German paper Die Zeit. The 31-year-old said he felt now was the right time to approach a subject he felt was "simply ignored." "Only in the last few years did it dawn on me that I would rather live with a man," he said. Hitzlsperger represented Germany at the 2006 World Cup, and played for clubs across Europe, winding up his career at English club Everton. He gained the nickname 'The Hammer' for his ability to slam goals home from a distance. "Homosexuality is not a serious issue in England, Germany or Italy, not in the dressing room in any case," he told the paper, adding he resented the contradiction of football being a sport where "fighting, passion and the will to win are intrinsically linked," compared to the stereotype that "gays are sissies." Hitzlsperger is the most high profile footballer to ever come out. He follows in the footsteps of American player Robbie Rogers, former English player Justin Fashanu and Swedish defender Anton Hysen. Players and politicians have been quick to support Hitzlsperger, with Germany forward Lukas Podolski tweeting “Brave and right decision. Respect, Thomas Hitzlsperger. His outing is a important sign in our time.” A statement from a German government spokesman reads: "We live in a country where nobody should be afraid of acknowledging their sexuality for fear of intolerance. And I think that as a country, as a society, we've made enormous progress in this area. We judge footballers by whether they conduct themselves well and with dignity on and off the pitch, and I believe both are true for Mr. Hitzlsperger."Check out just how a talented a player he is in the video below.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 9th January 2014 - 9:22am