Four years after coming out in an open letter on social media, Adelaide United midfielder Josh Cavallo says he still receives “multiple” death threats every day.

Cavallo, then 21, became the only openly gay male top-flight professional footballer, with his brave decision since prompting other professional footballers to come out.

However, the 25-year-old says professional football remains a “very toxic place” for openly gay players.

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Speaking to FIFPRO’s Footballers Unfiltered podcast, Cavallo said being open about homosexuality in men’s football “comes with a mountain of downsides”.

“There’s multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily still. And it’s quite sad to see,” he said.

“In the world of football, being an openly gay player is a very toxic place. It’s something that not everyone would be able to handle and go through.

“I still think we’re a very, very long way off being accepted in this space.

“So, these are factors that people will consider in their coming out and they might not be out now, but coming out brings all this attention, it brings all this pressure, brings all this negativity that will affect their game in the long run.

“It’s difficult to say to people, ‘Absolutely, come out, be yourself’.

“But it also comes with a mountain of downsides as well, that I don’t think people realise.”

A FIFA estimate states around 130,000 footballers play professionally in the men’s game, yet in addition to Cavallo, only two other players have come out publicly.

After Cavallo made his announcement in 2021, Blackpool player Jake Daniels came out in 2022.

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He is the UK’s only openly gay active male professional footballer and is currently on loan to non-league team Warrington Rylands 1906.

Czech Republic midfielder Jakub Jankto also came out in 2023. The 28-year-old plays in Italy for Serie A club Cagliari.

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart told the podcast that “men’s football still has a long way to go before everyone truly feels included, as well as represented in the sport”.

“I’ve been around football for a long, long time. Conversations about sexuality, gay players being in the dress room, it’s always been a hot topic, something that the media seemed to drive a lot more than players, if I’m being brutally honest, but it felt like it was always there. It felt like a huge relief when [Josh] stepped up in 2021 and was just honest,” Hart said.

“I look in dressing rooms now and towards the end of my career, I was lucky enough to realise that just being yourself and being honest was such an empowering thing.”

While change has been slow and delivered a level of abuse nobody should have to endure, Cavallo said he wished he had made the decision sooner.

“I was tired of being hidden and tired of having to go around and hide from people and not live my authentic self,” said the midfielder, who got engaged to his partner Leighton Morrell in 2024.

“And then I would be like why hasn’t this happened in football? Why hasn’t no one ever came out to be themselves and be successful and play.

“And I understand that now looking back, all the negativity, all the things that come your way.”

Cavallo said the stigmas associated with sexuality made it difficult to navigate professional football.

“For me, gay men are looked upon differently. They’re looked upon weaker, they’re looked upon not masculine. That means they’re not going to be at their best, that means they’re not going to be the best footballer. And it has such a negative connotation to it,” he said.

“For me, showing weakness or showing something about yourself that you don’t think is the strongest point doesn’t actually bring you down. It leads you into growing, growing into being a better person, growing into being a better player, doing things that will improve your game.”

He added: “I’m glad now I can step on the field, and I can be who I am and in the competition of Australia in the A-League, I haven’t come across anyone on the field that uses it in a negative way.

“Football has a space for people like me and I’m really proud to be wearing the flag.”