Equality is something that modern societies in most countries would accept as being positive; perhaps some would even take for granted that it exists, at least to some extent.

Yet in football, the world’s most popular sport, having gay players in elite leagues is an alien concept; a taboo. As of yet, it has not happened. There have been few signs yet that it might be imminent.

Statistically, we can assume that there must be gay players out there. There are simply too many professional footballers in existence for there not to be.

Thomas Hitzlsperger, the former Aston Villa, Wolfsburg and Everton player, who made over 250 club appearances and accumulated more than half a century of German senior caps, came out as being gay, but only once he had retired.

In an interview with Raphael Honigstein in 2014, he told the journalist he had wanted to come out as gay during his career, but was “advised not to”.

“Where I come from, in rural Bavaria, homosexuality is considered 'un-normal',” he continued.

He only came out after retiring and is now perhaps remembered more in some parts for that than his career, which included winning the Bundesliga with Stuttgart in 2006/07, which simply underlines the problem.

Stonewall, the organisers of the Rainbow Laces campaign, have existed since 1989, with the official site claiming almost 190,000 supporters have purchased their laces.

The idea is to make sport ‘everyone’s game’ with the laces designed to encourage equality among LGBT communities, but during the Premier League’s push for the campaign recently, only a smattering of players chose to get involved.

Society has changed considerably in the last few years, and whilst 72% of football fans say they have heard homophobic abuse, it would be nice – and probably reasonable – to think if anyone was chanting anything unsavoury of a homophobic nature in 2017, something would be said.

Homophobic chanting might have existed in the past, and might still to a certain extent, but it is generally – and rightfully – frowned upon now. Attitudes generally have changed.

Even if some people undoubtedly remain firmly stuck in the 20^th century, the vast majority accept that it is unacceptable. The vast majority of those people would react with horror if supporters around them were to shout homophobic abuse.

The reason that players are still reluctant to come out, then, is probably not fans' opinions.

There are more than 1600 professional players in the English game, and whilst it is not possible to guess or know how many are gay, statistics suggest there must be at least one.

Working on an average of 1.5%, which the Office for National Statistics says is the figure for the number of gay people in Britain, that would make it 24.

The reason they are reluctant to come out is the media. It is not what fans will say, but those in the media, and not necessarily in a way that reflects poorly on journalists.

If a current Premier League player was to come out tomorrow, that would be big news.

People would want to read about it, and therefore journalists would be obliged to cover it.

Just like any other huge story, it would be the job of those in the media to relay the news. The first person to come out would be splashed across the front pages, forget the back.

Through no fault of their own, the ‘champion of the cause’, as they would no doubt be labelled, would have a huge weight to carry – they would become a positive role model and an icon, but it would be an unbelievably heavy responsibility to take on.

The player would no longer be judged on purely football but his sexuality; he would never just be referred to as a player, always as the ‘one who was first to come out’.

A trailblazer in his sport, rather than just a player like everyone else. What a burden that would become.

In future, he would go down in history, but at the time he chose to come out, it would feel like no such achievement. It would be quite the opposite.

As Hitzlsperger said, “There was no precedent, so everybody could only speculate on what would happen”.

Perhaps fans would object, but well into the 21^st century, you would hope most would not. Those who did would certainly be outnumbered by those more liberal.

The new-found fame that would come about by coming out makes it absolutely understandable that no one has yet.

There are often stories claiming that ‘one or two’ Premier League stars are on the verge of coming out, but it has not materialised.

Even before they have actually come out, the media takes a huge interest. For that reason, it might be a little time longer yet before we see football’s first gay player.

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