Former pro footballer Thomas Beattie came out as gay last June in an interview with ESPN. Now, he’s looking back on the experience and the impact it’s had on his life over the last several months.Speaking to BBC Sport, the 34-year-old says coming out was “liberating” and that he was “on a high” for two months afterwards, but he probably wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t retired.“I wouldn’t have come out if I was still playing now,” Beattie, who was forced to retire in 2015 after a life-threatening head injury, explained. “The reason is the same reason most people aren’t coming out now.
We are still trying to redefine what masculinity is and that’s a big issue in sport.”A post shared by T H O M A S B E A T T I E (@iamthomasbeattie)Beattie.