FA CHAIRMAN GREG Clarke maintains that it doesn’t reflect well on English football that ‘not even one’ gay professional player would agree to meet with him in order to discuss inclusivity in the sport.

Clarke had iterated earlier this year that the FA hoped to move football to a place in which gay players would feel comfortable enough so as not to feel the need to hide their sexuality.

However, while he believes progress has been made at semi-professional and amateur level, Clarke says the professional game continues to lag behind in its efforts.

He told Paul Hayward in the Telegraph: “We haven’t yet won the trust of the professional gay players. I’ve reached out. I’ve seen athletes, swimmers, divers, I’ve gone everywhere. And they’ve shared their views with me.

“I’ve said – ‘Why won’t gay footballers meet me?’ They’ve all said – ‘I don’t know because I don’t know any gay footballers.’ They’re very deeply buried.

I haven’t met one player at professional level who would even agree to meet me in the middle of nowhere for a conversation over a cup of coffee. Not one. I don’t blame them for that. If they don’t feel comfortable having that conversation, it doesn’t say good things about our game.

“I don’t want to speculate about what’s in their heads. They obviously don’t feel comfortable. I’ve spoken to the Premier League, the EFL [Football League], the PFA [Professional Footballers' Association], the LMA [League Managers' Association].

“I’ve met a lot of gay activists, gay publishers. I went down to Stonewall [FC], watched a game, had a beer in the bar afterwards – and talked about the issues. At the semi-pro level and below, nobody’s worried.”

Subscribe to The42 podcasts here:

‘We earn a lot of money. I’d give away all the money to be healthy again, to play football’