Bellerin reveals homophobic abuse from fans: 'Very personal, very nasty'

Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin says that he is the frequent target of anti-gay abuse, both online and at Premier League stadiums.

In an eloquent interview with the Times' Matthew Syed, the Barcelona-born defender discussed a wide range of topics, including fashion, Arsene Wenger, Brexit, Catalonia's bid for independence, racism, and homophobia, with the latter issue a common source of indignity directed at the 23-year-old.

"Most of the abuse is online, but you hear it in the stadium too," Bellerin told the Times. "People have called me 'lesbian' for growing my hair.

"There are other kinds of homophobic insults. I have learned to grow a thick skin but it can affect you. Every now and again, you get a bit of self-doubt."

Bellerin adds that footballers who don't fit a conventional mold adhering to preconceptions can become targets for abuse. "The problem is that people have an idea of what a footballer should look like, how they should behave, what they should talk about," he said. "You act a little differently and you become a target.

"There is pressure to conform. This is very dangerous. In life, you should be allowed to express yourself. People are happier like this."

With no openly gay players in the Premier League, Bellerin reckons that footballing culture and its antiquated norms are far behind other sports in terms of acceptance.

"It is impossible that anybody could be openly gay in football. Some fans are not ready," Bellerin confessed. "When it happened in rugby with the Welsh player [Gareth Thomas], people respected the situation. The fans respected his decision.

"In football, the culture is different. It can be very personal, very nasty, particularly for players from the opposition team."