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“You don't belong on this earth” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Don't take another breath.”

After announcing he was gay in 2021, player Josh Cavallo has faced constant threats and hateful comments on social media.

“When I first saw these messages, it broke my heart,” the player states. “No-one wants to read things like that.

“I'm trying to get better as a player and be the best I can be on the pitch, and then get put down due to my identity. It's disgusting.”

Player the sportsman was at Adelaide United back in 2020 when he emerged as the sole publicly out top-flight male professional footballer in the world.

Recently he departed from Australia to join non-league Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in National League North, the sixth tier of English football.

The 25-year-old balances his sports career for the semi-professional team by speaking up on LGBTQ+ issues and leveraging his platform - boasting over a million followers on social media - to champion equality and acceptance.

“Definitely, we've got mountains to do,” Cavallo says when questioned about ongoing issues with discrimination.

“I don't go more than a week without hearing about an issue.”

‘Individuals wish to hurt me’

It took years for the athlete to build up the bravery to say “I am homosexual” before revealing his sexuality on October 27th, 2021.

“My only desire is play football and be treated equally,” he stated in an accompanying video.

The player was twenty-one and building his reputation at his Australian club in Australia's top flight when, with the support of his team-mates, he announced his orientation publicly.

“The future was uncertain. I didn't know what to expect,” he says. “It felt like the right time in my life. I wanted to take the next step.”

His emotional coming out video, entitled ‘Josh's Truth’, went viral on digital platforms.

“My mobile phone exploded with messages of support. It was overwhelming.”

A prominent club were among numerous famous teams around the world to show solidarity with the player, with then manager Jurgen Klopp saying: “I'm really thankful that he did it because it sparks conversation.”

Spanish player the athlete also expressed backing, writing on social media that “the world of football is lagging behind and you are helping us move forward”, while his former club released a comment backing their “remarkable” and “brave” player.

Some people, however, were not so accepting.

Cavallo quickly became a target of homophobic abuse by rival supporters.

During early 2022 a competing team were penalized A$5,000 over discriminatory chants from spectators aimed toward Cavallo during a game.

“The things I'd hear were painful and disparaging towards my community,” he explains.

“I remained calm because I knew that would only feed the haters.”

There was a frightening incident at a petrol station in Australia, where the athlete was assaulted by someone who recognised him from the coverage.

“It was terrifying,” he recalls. “The thought crossed my mind ‘this is real - individuals intend to hurt me’.

“Is it acceptable? Absolutely not. But through my disclosure, these are the consequences.

“My wish is that future individuals who reveals their orientation while competing in soccer at a high level won't face the journey I have endured.”

The player says the constant menacing messages and abusive messages have taken a toll on his psychological well-being.

“It's quite sad because I am having to explain why I deserve a place on the soccer pitch for being who I am,” he says.

“We don't sit straight people down and ask ‘what gives you the right in football?’.

“A lot of people see me as a cheerful, optimistic person. But sometimes when I lean on my fiance, Leighton, and he witnesses a lot that happens privately.”

‘Premier League player coming out would move mountains’

Cavallo's decision to reveal his sexuality helped prompt 17-year-old Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to come out as the Britain's sole publicly out active male professional footballer in May 2022.

Nevertheless, there are no openly gay or bisexual players in the Premier League.

“It would create massive change,” comments the footballer on the effect a Premier League player revealing their orientation would make.

“But I'm not going to sugar-coat it. There are a lot of scary things that would come this person's way. In the world of football, being an openly gay player is a highly hostile environment.”

Twenty-seven years after a pioneering player - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - took his own life in 1998, the current athlete has spoken about the “harmful male culture” that still exists in men's football.

“Simply attend to a match and see the unfriendly atmosphere and male-dominated culture that the crowd brings,” he says.

“There is still a lot of work to make sure there is a secure environment in football for people like myself and Jake.

“Progress has been limited (more players coming out) as frequently as desired.

“I can only keep pushing for what I think is right, and work towards taking out the toxic masculinity in soccer locker rooms and creating a safe space.”

‘My mission is to drive progress’

Cavallo says football has allowed him to have conversations within team environments about revealing one's orientation.

Yet, he is disapproving toward Fifa, after the Middle Eastern nation, where homosexual partnerships are illegal, staged the global tournament in 2022.

The 2034 tournament will be held in another Gulf state, where homosexuality is similarly prohibited.

“Do I approve that the World Cup is in countries that ban gay unions, where individuals like myself will be imprisoned for just existing on that land? It's frightening,” states the athlete.

“I receive communications [from residents of such nations] saying ‘I'm about to be put in prison for being who I am - can you help me?’.

“It breaks my heart that individuals are incarcerated for their true selves.

“There are countries that are significant soccer markets and they reject the queer community. These places that often focus on me.”

Nevertheless, the footballer says he will not stop speaking up.

“Soccer has allowed me to start conversations in the locker room. It lets me communicate and educate people who seek understanding.

“Some will disapprove for your identity. But I've discovered support. I've connected with similar people.

“My mission is to drive progress. That's what I'm here for.”