Footballer who made history by coming out as gay accuses old club of homophobia
Josh Cavallo, who made history in 2021 when he became the first man to come out as gay while playing elite football, has accused his old club of being “homophobic”.
In an Instagram post, the 26-year-old Australian star, who recently moved to the UK to play for Stamford AFC, said he believed Adelaide United fans “deserve honesty”.
“Leaving the club had nothing to do with football,” he said, but “internal homophobia” at the club led to him being sidelined – affecting his “wellbeing as a professional footballer”.
Adelaide United categorically rejected Cavallo’s allegations, adding that “the club is extremely disappointed by the claims made”.
He came out as gay in October 2021 in an emotional social media post, saying he couldn’t be happier with his decision as he was tired of living a “double life”.
He was capped at U19 level by Australia and spoke to Sky Sports of his desire to represent his country in the Qatar World Cup, but was not selected and left A-League side Adelaide in 2025.
Cavallo accused people in power of blocking his opportunities, “not because of my talent, but because of who I choose to love”.
He wrote: “It became clear that I wasn’t allowed on the pitch because of politics.”
“This was exactly the fear I had about coming out, seeing prejudice affect my career,” the footballer said.
“For the first time, I actually questioned if I should have kept my sexuality a secret.”
Adelaide United denied his allegation, saying “all on-field decisions relating to team selection are made solely on footballing grounds”.
Cavallo described himself as feeling incredibly isolated and said seeing a group chat of teammates mocking a picture of him and his partner only added to his heartache.
In 2024, he became engaged to his partner, Leighton Morrell, after an on-pitch proposal at Adelaide United‘s home ground.
In a statement, the club said they had “always been committed to fostering an inclusive environment for players, staff and supporters and we remain proud of our ongoing work to promote inclusion across football”.
The footballer was named “Man of the Year” at the 2022 Attitude Awards
They added: “Strengthening inclusivity must remain an ongoing focus for the game, and the Club looks forward to hosting the fourth annual Pride Cup this weekend against Melbourne Victory.”
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The footballer ended his post by saying: “This fresh start in the UK has helped me breathe again and I hope I can fall back in love with the sport that means everything to me.”
“Despite the way it ended behind the scenes, I refuse to let it ruin my connection to this city.
“Adelaide is where I found my wings.
“To the fans and supporters: thank you for your passion and backing. You deserve honesty and success. You were incredible to play in front of. Thank you.”
Cavallo’s coming out laid a pathway for other LGBT+ footballers and athletes, such as Jake Daniels – who in 2022 became the first professional male player in Britain to come out as gay since Justin Fashanu in 1990.
At the time he revealed his sexuality in The Sun, Fashanu, who had previously played for top flight sides including Norwich City and Nottingham Forest and was the first £1m black footballer, was playing in North American football, having played on and off in the English lower leagues for several years.
