Real test is when a still active pro comes out

‘Widespread support for Thomas Hitzlsperger from the football community’ ran the headline on one website yesterday, after the former German international and Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton man came out as gay in a newspaper interview.

And then you scrolled down and discovered that this particular football community essentially consisted of Joey Barton, Gary Lineker and Lukas Poldolski, along with a trio of enlightened media folk.

Doubtless more have added their support since but, still, ‘widespread’ seems to be pushing it a bit.