To quote a famous even hackneyed on the Internet: there are news that give the smile.

Footballer Josh Cavallo, who came out the day before becoming the first openly gay player in the Australian league, said he was overwhelmed by a global wave of support.

His decision to make his sexual orientation public has been applauded in the football world, notably by Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic ("You are a champion. Football is for everyone. Great respect"), Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Rashford, Raphael Varane, Gerard Piqué and David de Gea.

Cavallo wants to inspire others

Cavallo even caught the attention of famous American talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who tweeted to her 77 million followers, “I'm sending her a lot of love today.

"I am so overwhelmed and happy with the response I received," the player, who has represented Australia in the Under-20s, told Sky Sports.

"I want to send a message to the world to show that no matter who you are, what you believe in or what culture or background you come from, everyone is accepted in football," Cavallo said.

"It should be based on your talent, not what you look like or what you believe in," added the native of Bentleigh East, a suburb of Melbourne.

“At the end of the day, it's 2021 and it's time to change that in football,” said Cavallo, who hopes his decision will inspire others.

"Still a lot of work to do"

Andy Brennan, who played a handful of A-League games before revealing he was gay after moving to an Australian semi-professional league three years ago, praised Cavallo.

But he also questioned why gay gamers should be 'brave' and 'courageous'.

"To just be what we really are?"

“, He asked in a column published Thursday in the Australian edition of the

Guardian

.

“There is still a lot of work to be done to make sport environments safe and inclusive for LGBTQ + people, so that athletes like me and Josh feel it's a safe place for us to come out,” Brennan said.

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