“Footballers who are homosexuals need to come out” – Man Utd’s keeper, Lindegaard

Anders Lindergaard, has slammed football fans for being ‘stuck in a time of intolerane’ and also said it was about time a ‘gay hero’, showed up in the game.

The Manchester United goalkeeper, expressed these thoughts on his blog, where he wrote: “As a footballer I think first and foremost that a homosexual colleague is afraid of the reception he could get from the fans.

“My impression is that the players would not have a problem accepting a homosexual.

“Homosexuality in football is a taboo subject. The atmosphere on the pitch and in the stands is tough. The mechanisms are primitive, and it is often expressed through a classic stereotype that a real man should be brave, strong and aggressive. And it is not the image that a football fan associates with a gay person.

“The problem for me is that a lot of football fans are stuck in a time of intolerance that does not deserve to be compared with modern society’s development in the last decades.

“While the rest of the world has been more liberal, civilised and less prejudiced, the world of football remains stuck in the past when it comes to tolerance.’

The Denmark international, who has featured seven times for the Red Devils this season, confirmed he had discussed if he should publish the post with his girlfriend, Misse Beqiri, but he put it up on betfair.com.

“To turn a blind eye only indicates that one is not recognising that there is a problem. Of course there is a problem if young homosexuals, who love football, have to quit the sport because they feel excluded.

“That is in every way an unpleasant trend that does not belong in a modern and liberal society. Any discrimination towards people is and should be totally unacceptable, whether it is about skin colour, religion, sexuality etc.

“Homosexuals are in need of a hero. They are in need of someone who dares to stand up for their sexuality.”

Justin Fashanu, is the first top-flight footballer, who came out in 1990 to declare he was gay. Anton Hysen, who plays in Sweden’s fourth division, also came out last year.