Being gay and a professional footballer (with Zander Murray)

A warning this episode refers to homophobic slurs that some listeners may find upsetting.

Zander Murray lives and breathes football. The 31-year-old from Glasgow currently plays for the Scottish League Two club, Bonnyrigg Rose, as a striker. Last year he gained considerable attention, having scored his 100th career goal. However that wasn’t the only reason he found himself in the media spotlight. In September 2022, Zander decided to go public about being gay, becoming the first out professional footballer in Scotland since Justin Fashanu. On National Coming Out Day for 2023, Zander shares his story on the ITV Pridecast.

Zander opened up about his sexuality only months after 18 year-old Blackpool striker Jake Daniels did the same. Both men are part of just a handful of footballers in the world who are openly gay, and of that very small number, none find themselves in the higher leagues of football’s elite. The sport has sadly held onto a legacy of homophobia and discrimination, both on-and-off the pitch, with many in the game still fearful of coming out and the reaction they will get from both the media as well as fans.

For Zander though, he could no longer keep his sexuality a secret. Since coming out, and alongside his career as a footballer, he has now taken on an ambassador role, where he’s trying to create an environment where LGBTQ+ players can comfortably be themselves and live authentically.

He is hoping we will reach a day where a male footballer coming out won’t make the news headlines. Zander believes it’s about time that the men’s game takes inspiration from women’s football, where there is far greater inclusivity for LGBTQ+ players. It’s only then he believes that football will have caught up with wider society and can become a safe space for any player. Joining Liam McConkey to co-host this episode is Jamie Summers who is a journalist for ITV News in London.