PREM ACE’S £10K HUSH MONEY OFFER
Player tries to buy gay lover’s silence over affair
A PREMIER League star offered to pay his male lover £10,000 to keep their affair secret.
The lover claims the bisexual player made the cash offer in a desperate bid to keep his sexuality under wraps.
If the relationship is made public, the rising star fears his career will be over.
The Daily Star Sunday knows the player’s identity but we have decided not to name him or divulge any information that could lead to him being outed.
The millionaire professional told his “on-off partner” he would give him the cash windfall if he kept quiet.
He also promised to pay for his lover’s car.
There are currently no top-flight football stars who have come out as homosexual.
It is claimed that secretly gay players fear they will face abuse from the stands, on the pitch and even in the changing room from their own teammates.
The player’s lover claimed: “We’ve been seeing each other for nine months on and off, more off. He’s bisexual. I’d say we’ve met around a dozen times.”
When the relationship soured, the partner threatened to out the star.
In messages seen by this newspaper the top-flight ace claimed his lover was “spiteful”.
He said the revelation would ruin his career and offered him £10,000 to keep his mouth shut.
The lover claims he did not take the cash and had no desire to blackmail the star.
We have not paid him for any information.
The cash offer claim follows a revelation earlier this month that a Premier League player has been in a secret gay relationship for four years.
The ace is also said to be afraid his football career will be ruined if he is open about his sexuality.
Justin Fashanu, the most prominent footballer to come out as gay, killed himself 20 years ago this month, aged 37.
Former Stoke and West Brom star Carl Hoefkens, 39, claims he played alongside three gay footballers during his stint in England who “did not hide who they were in the dressing room”.
Other sports, including rugby, cricket and tennis, have embraced gay stars but football is a long way behind the times.
Most who have come out did not play at the top level or waited until they retired to tell the world, including former Aston Villa and West Ham midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, 36.
Last year, England’s only openly gay footballer Liam Davis, who plays for non-league Cleethorpes Town, claimed a group of players were ready to come out together.
Gay rights charity Stonewall warned against speculating about players’ sexuality.
Kirsty Clarke, the organisation’s director of sport, said: “While there is still work to do to make sport truly inclusive, speculation over players’ sexual orientation is one thing we really need to stop.
“We know that attitudes in football need to change before everyone feels free to be themselves.
“Footballers coming out isn’t a sign of success in isolation.
“Let’s not pretend this is a normal kiss and tell story – it’s kiss and threat.”