Posthumous honour for Fashanu

The late Justin Fashanu was inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame yesterday on what would have been his 59th birthday.

In 1990 Fashanu became England’s first male English professional footballer to come out as gay while still playing. He took his own life in 1998.

His niece Amal Fashanu, who campaigns against homophobia in sport and is a cofounder of the Justin Fashanu Foundation, received the award on his behalf at the museum in Manchester during LGBT History Month.

Fashanu was the first black footballer to command a £1 million transfer fee with his move from Norwich to Nottingham Forest in 1981. He played for a total of 22 clubs in England, North America, Scotland and New Zealand.