Gay former footballer Stephen Laybutt found dead after going missing
"We remember Stephen not just for his accomplishments on the field but also for his character," the head of Football Australia said
By Dale Fox
Former Australian professional football player Stephen Laybutt has been found dead after going missing on Friday 12 January.
Laybutt, who came out publicly as gay after retiring from football in 2008, was visiting friends on Friday evening before disappearing. This prompted a missing persons report to be filed the next day when he couldn’t be located, news.com.au reported.
His vehicle was found parked outside a store in Cabarita Beach at 11:30am on Saturday, leading authorities to launch an extensive search. Laybutt’s body was discovered in bushland near Cabarita Beach at around 7pm local time on Sunday (14 January).
NSW Police has ruled out both misadventure and a medical episode. A report is being prepared for the coroner, though his death is not being treated as suspicious.
The former centre-back earned 15 caps for Australia between 2000 and 2004, and also represented the country at the 2000 Olympics. However, he struggled for years to conceal his sexuality from teammates and fans.
“Nobody knew. It takes a fair bit of effort to hide like that” – Stephen Laybutt on keeping his sexuality private
“Everyone says your mum knows, your best friend knows … Nobody knew. It takes a fair bit of effort to hide like that,” Laybutt told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2021 about keeping his sexuality private during his career.
“I had girlfriends; I thought I had to go down that path but you think, ‘How’s this going to work?’ Then football goes and life moves on and you say to yourself, ‘Come on, get real’. Just lying to yourself all the time. That breaks you and you head down a path of self-destruction.”
Tributes have poured in from across the football world, with Football Australia CEO James Johnson saying Laybutt’s “lasting legacy” for the Socceroos would always be remembered.
“We remember Stephen not just for his accomplishments on the field but also for his character and the positive influence he had on those around him. He will forever be remembered as part of the Socceroos family and will be deeply missed.”