Like his late mother, Princess Diana, Prince William helped modernize the monarchy by addressing issues that were traditionally taboo for royals.
The Duke of Cambridge recently weighed in on some big news in the world of football: the announcement of the UK’s first gay footballer in 32 years.
Growing up, William played many sports. As an adult, he became president of the English Football Association (also called the FA), which oversees many of the country’s clubs, as well as the national team.
William is also a huge football fan (his favorite team is Aston Villa) and has worked with well-known players to help promote important causes such as mental health. For example, in 2020, the FA Cup Final was dubbed the “Heads Up FA Cup Final” in honor of William’s mental health initiative, Heads Up.
William also uses football as a way to open up conversations about masculinity and mental health.
Prince William sends support to openly gay player Jake Daniels
On May 17th, William also sent his support to 17-year-old Blackpool FC striker Jake Daniels, who recently came out as gay.
“Football should be a game for everyone,” William said in a commentary cheep. “What Jake has done takes courage and will hopefully help break down barriers that have no place in our society. I hope your decision to speak out gives others the confidence to do the same.”
Daniels previously declared himself a member of the LGBT+ community in a statement posted on the Blackpool FC website.
“Off the pitch, I hide who I really am and who I really am,” Daniels wrote. “I’ve known my whole life that I’m gay, and now I feel like I’m ready to come out and be myself. It was a step towards the unknown of being one of the first footballers in this country to reveal my sexuality, but Josh Cavallo, Matt Morton and athletes from other sports, such as Tom Daley, have inspired me to have the courage and determination to drive. change.”
He added: “I hated lying my whole life and felt the need to change to fit in. I want to be a role model by doing this. There are people in the same room as me who may feel uncomfortable expressing their sexuality. I just want to let you know that you don’t have to change who you are, or how you should be, just to fit in. Being yourself and being happy is the most important thing.”
Even though England has countless male soccer players at its professional clubs, it is rare to see an openly gay person on the pitch. Prior to Daniels’ announcement, Justin Fashanu was the last person to go public, and this was in 1990.
Prince William also supports players who oppose racism.
William has also promoted inclusion in football in other ways. During Euro 2020, William spoke out against racist comments faced by England’s Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, who missed a penalty kick during the final match between England and Italy.
“I’m sick of the racist abuse directed at England players after last night’s game,” he said. “It is absolutely unacceptable that players should accept this heinous behavior. It has to stop now and everyone involved must be held accountable.”
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