Newcastle United face backlash for tweet in support of Jake Daniels

Newcastle United have been accused of hypocrisy after sending a message of support to gay footballer Jake Daniels.

The Premier League club were bought by a Saudi-led consortium last October, a venture which has been branded a cynical ‘sportswashing’ project given the Gulf state’s human rights record and attitudes towards the LGBT community.

Blackpool’s Daniels came out publicly as gay on Monday, becoming the first male professional footballer to do so in England for 32 years, the last being Justin Fashanu in 1990.

The 17-year-old has received overwhelming support from the football world and the wider community, praised for his bravery and courage as he said: ‘I am ready to tell people my story. I want people to know the real me.’

Newcastle posted their own supportive message, writing on Twitter: ‘Football is for everyone.