Rio: There's no safe space to come out as qay in football

He says Premier League players would face abuse. Hitzlsperger: I kept quiet as I was terrified of reaction

- MARK JEFFERIES

RIO Ferdinand says football is still not set up to provide the support a Premier League star would need to be openly gay.

The former England captain added that although attitudes have changed for the better in recent decades, top flight male players would face abuse for coming out.

Rio, 45, who used homophobic language in the past, also said that what was classed as dressing room banter in his playing days was brutal.

Asked why there are no openly gay players in the top flight in England, Rio said: "I don't think football has put together the infrastructure for a safe space for a person to come out.

"There's a lot of uncontrollables like fans, social media, forums, where it's inevitable that they'll get hammered by people." For a documentary fronted by TV presenter Rylan Clark, Rio is quizzed about jokingly calling DJ Chris Moyles a "faggot" on Radio 1 in 2006.

Rylan asks: "It got you in a little bit of hot water?" Rio replies: "It didn't at the time. I think Ofcom got two complaints.