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Blackpool defender Marvin Ekpiteta has apologised for old homophobic social media posts after his team-mate Jake Daniels came out.
The 17-year-old Blackpool forward received widespread support after he came out publicly on Monday.
However, homophobic posts made by Ekpiteta from 2012 and 2013 were highlighted following the announcement.
Now Ekpiteta, 26, has deleted the offending posts and issued an apology over the comments, which he said “do not in any way reflect the values I hold now”.
He said in a statement on Twitter: “Today, social media posts I made in 2012 and 2013 have been highlighted.
“I want to wholeheartedly apologise for the offensive and completely inappropriate language I used, and for the sentiments I expressed.
“As a footballer, and in the years spent in work, before I became a professional player, I’ve been fortunate to have worked with a wide and diverse range of people. Throughout this period, I have developed and grown as a person.
“Yesterday, I was proud of Jake and all involved at Blackpool FC for what is a hugely positive moment for football as a whole.
“I am embarrassed by the comments I made as a 17-year-old, nearly a decade ago, which do not in any way reflect the values I hold now or the beliefs I have as a person or as a team-mate.
‘I take full responsibility’
“Football needs to be a place where everyone can feel free to be true to themselves, and I am upset that the comments I previously made suggest otherwise.
“I take full responsibility for these posts, and I am sorry.”
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Daniels is the first professional player in British men’s football to come out publicly since Justin Fashanu in the 1990s.
He said he originally hid his sexuality in order to become a professional footballer and instead wait until he was retired to come out.
But in an interview with Sky Sports News, he said he felt ready to make the announcement after “such a long time of lying” about who he is.
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