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In September, 31-year-old Thomas Hitzlsperger, a former member of the German national team who played in the English Premier League for several years, ended his football career and announced that he is homosexual. The defender became the most famous footballer to come out as gay.
The footballer, who recently ended his career due to recurring injuries, told "Die Zeit" that now is the best time to come out: "I want to tell the truth because I think it will encourage more discussion about the presence of homosexuals among professional athletes."
The footballer admitted that it was only in the last few years that he realized he "would rather live with another man" and stated that such topics are taboo in the dressing rooms of teams.
"I have never been ashamed of who I am. But it was not always easy. Imagine 20 men sitting around a table and some start making jokes about homosexuals," the footballer said.
After this announcement, T. Hitzlsperger became the most well-known footballer to come out as gay. No other football player in the Premier League has done so.
During his career, the German represented Birmingham's Aston Villa, Stuttgart, Rome's Lazio, West Ham United, Wolfsburg, and Liverpool's Everton.
In the German national team, the defender played 52 matches and scored 6 goals. In the 2008 European Championship, he won silver with the national team, and in the 2012 World Cup, he won bronze.
