Former Leeds player announces he is gay and quits football

A former Leeds United player has announced he is gay and has decided to quit football. American international Robbie Rogers, 25, told fans on his personal website he ‘couldn’t be happier’ with his decision. Midfielder Rogers, who made nine appearances on loan at League One Stevenage this season, briefly returned to Elland Road in January but left the club by mutual consent later that month. And he today announced his retirement from the game, pointing fans to the blog post on his website through Twitter, where he posted: ‘Just getting some s*** off my chest,’ with a link to his site. On his website, the US international, who has 18 caps for his country and competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, wrote: ‘For the past 25 years I have been afraid, afraid to show whom I really was because of fear. Fear that judgment and rejection would hold me back from my dreams and aspirations.‘Dreams of going to a World Cup, dreams of The Olympics, dreams of making my family proud. ‘Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay. ‘I always thought I could hide this secret. Football was my escape, my purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could have ever imagined… I will always be thankful for my career. ‘Now is my time to step away. It’s time to discover myself away from football. It’s 1 A.M. in London as I write this and I could not be happier with my decision.’ Rogers, who is co-owner of menswear brand Halsey, added he will now concentrate on life outside of football.