Fired Soccer Ref Comes Out, Says the Stresses of the Closet to Blame for Bad Behavior

David Coote, a Premiere League soccer referee fired last fall after a diatribe on video went viral, has come out – and he says concealing who he really was "led me to a whole course of behaviors," Sky Sports reported.

"Coote was dismissed in December after being 'in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable,'" the writeup detailed. The video in question circulated last November, and "appeared to show Coote making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp," the outlet recalled.

A second video that appeared to show Coote using drugs also circulated.

The former ref "admitted he turned to drugs as a result of the fear of coming out as gay as a Premier League referee in his first interview since being sacked by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL)," Sky Sports relayed.

"I've had issues around my self-esteem – and that relates to my sexuality," Coote said in an interview with UK publication The Sun. "I'm gay and I've struggled with feeling proud of being 'me' over a long period of time."

"I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref," Coote went on to explain, "and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult."

Coote spoke to the unrelenting, year-long toll of the closet, recalling that he "hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well – a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being."

"And that's led me to a whole course of behaviors," he added.

"My sexuality isn't the only reason that led me to be in that position," the former referee admitted. "But I'm not telling an authentic story if I don't say that I'm gay, and that I've had real struggles dealing with hiding that."

In the rare instances when still-active athletes have come out of the closet, they have often said relinquishing the burden of secrecy has not only improved their quality of life, but the quality of their performance during games, as well.

Could coming out sooner have spared Coote the ignominious end his career suffered?

Perhaps – but the former ref is focused more on the future than the past at this point.

In a statement to Sky Sports, Coote reflected, "This has been one of the most difficult periods of my life. I take full responsibility for my actions, which fell way below what was expected of me."

Adding that he is "truly sorry for any offense caused by my actions and for the negative spotlight it put on the game that I love," Coote went on to say, "I hope people will understand that they were private moments taken during very low times in my life. They do not reflect who I am today or what I think."

"My focus now is on continuing to prioritize my mental health and wellbeing. I hope that my experiences, both on and off the field, can be utilised in football at some point in the future."