Evra claims teammates at West Ham vowed to leave if players came out as gay

Remembered an episode in the changing room

Posted Saturday, May 07, 2022 by Marca.com

Patrice Evra claims that some of his former West Ham teammates vowed to leave the club if they found out that any of their fellow players were homosexual.

The Frenchman alleged that a member of the English Football Association sought to spread a message of acceptance which was met with strong resistance.

"It's like you can't be a gay football player, people will go mad," Evra told Gabby Logan on the Mid Point podcast.

"I give the example, when I was playing for West Ham, someone from the English federation came and he said "we need to accept everyone" and the amount of players that were like "no, if some of my team mates are gay they have to leave now, I won't do any shower [with them].

"I stand up and I say "shut up, shut up everyone, can you hear yourselves?" We still don't accept everyone. In the football world they are not open minded enough and it's a shame.

"I understand because even myself when the players they were coming to me I was like, be careful because if you say it loud you see the reaction of all the players but I will support you and because I had such a power in the dressing room I will protect [you], I will support you."