Former Premier League referee David Coote has come out as gay in an emotional interview- two months after explosive videos emerged of him and ended his career.
Coote told The Sun that he turned to drugs over fear of coming out in the ‘macho world’ of the Premier League.
Coote told The Sun: ‘I felt a deep sense of shame during my teenage years in particular.
‘I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 21. I didn’t come out to my friends until I was 25.
‘My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay, and that I’ve had real struggles dealing with hiding that.
‘I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well — a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being.
David Coote has come out as gay in an emotional interview
Coote began his refereeing journey at the age of 14 before working his way up the system
‘And that’s led me to a whole course of behaviours.’
The disgraced former referee’s career was fired by the PGMOL last month after the emergence of videos which landed Coote in significant trouble, the first seemingly showing the 42-year-old badmouthing Liverpool’s ex-manager Jurgen Klopp.
The PGMOL’s investigation was then extended to look into another clip which was made public, alleging to show him sniffing a white powder through a rolled-up bank note.
It was apparently taken during the summer’s European Championship. The PGMOL found Coote’s actions made his position as a Premier League official ‘untenable’ and the organisation headed up by Howard Webb terminated his employment with immediate effect.
In a statement confirming his sacking, the PGMOL vowed to provide Coote with support.
‘David Coote’s actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable,’ the statement read.
‘Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare.’
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