Michael Gunning interviews Jake Daniels in new doc: ‘People now only really know me as the gay footballer’
Beneath the Surface, a new Sky Sports series produced and directed by Gunning, tackles the pressures of breaking barriers in sports
By Dale Fox
Former international swimmer Michael Gunning has debuted Beneath the Surface, a Sky Sports documentary that dives into the intersecting challenges of LGBTQ+ identity and racial discrimination in sport.
The series opener, premiering tonight (28 October) at 7pm on Sky Sports, centres on Jake Daniels, Blackpool FC’s rising star and the UK’s only out gay male professional footballer since Justin Fashanu in 1990.
Beneath the Surface, both produced and directed by Gunning, is the first instalment in Sky Sports’ new documentary series spotlighting diverse voices in sport. Produced under Sky’s New Focus Fund, the series aims to tackle issues of racial injustice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and the pressures of breaking barriers in traditionally conservative spaces.
In it, Daniels speaks openly in the documentary about his life since coming out at 17 and the pressures he feels to prove himself on the field while carrying the weight of representation.
“People now only really know me as the ‘gay footballer,’” Daniels says. “It’s about me now showing myself on the pitch, proving that I’m a good footballer and just getting out there and just showing people that I am the footballer that I want to be.”
“People think being gay makes you weak” – Jake Daniels
Daniels also addresses the impact of prejudice in football, noting, “Football is still very much seen as masculine…people think being gay makes you weak, but being out doesn’t make me any less of a player.”
Former Attitude cover star Daniels added: “One thing that I really want to do is just be an advocate for the LGBTQ community – not only in football but outside of it as well…I really want to do and push it as much as possible.”
The documentary captures an emotional moment with Daniels and his mother, who speaks candidly about the challenges of supporting him. “Not really, no,” she admits when asked if she feels there is enough support for parents. “I’ve spent some lonely times just with my thoughts, and you don’t want to make it all about you. You just want to be the strong mother, the supporting mother.”
“I’m on a mission to show just how diverse all sport can be” – Michael Gunning
Gunning also highlights the challenges for athletes facing stereotypes. “Growing up, I was always told that Black people sink in water and that I would never be good enough because of the colour of my skin,” he reflects. “Myths and stereotypes are meant to be broken, and now I’m on a mission to show just how diverse all sport can be.”
Daniels, who remains focused on breaking barriers in the football world, says, “Why is it different in men’s sport to come out? I put it down to football being a masculine sport as you’re seen as ‘you’ve got to be strong,’ but people think being gay is ‘you’re weak.’”
Beneath the Surface is available to stream for free on YouTube now.