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“You shouldn't exist” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Stop breathing.”

Since revealing his homosexuality in 2021, player Josh Cavallo has received daily death threats and abusive messages on social media.

“When I first saw these messages, I was devastated,” Cavallo explains. “No-one wants to read things like that.

“I'm working to improve my skills and be the best I can be on the pitch, and then get put down due to my identity. It's disgusting.”

Midfielder Cavallo was at Adelaide United back in 2020 when he became the only openly gay elite soccer player in the world.

Recently he left Australia to join non-league Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in National League North, one level below of the English soccer system.

The 25-year-old combines playing for the Cambridgeshire part-timers by advocating for LGBTQ+ issues and using his profile - boasting over a million followers on Instagram - to promote fairness and inclusion.

“Absolutely, we've got mountains to do,” the footballer says when questioned about ongoing issues with discrimination.

“I don't go more than a week without hearing about an issue.”

‘Individuals wish to hurt me’

Several years passed for the athlete to work up the courage to say “I'm gay” before coming out on October 27th, 2021.

“All I want to do is compete in soccer and be treated equally,” he stated in an accompanying video.

The player was 21 and making a name for himself at Adelaide United in Australia's top flight when, backed by his colleagues, he publicly came out.

“I didn't know what was ahead. I didn't know what to expect,” he recalls. “The moment seemed appropriate in my life. I wanted to take the next step.”

His emotional coming out video, entitled ‘His Personal Story’, gained massive attention on digital platforms.

“My mobile phone exploded with encouraging words. The response was incredible.”

A prominent club were among numerous famous teams around the world to show solidarity with Cavallo, with the coach at the time the German manager saying: “I appreciate that he took this step because it sparks conversation.”

Spanish player the athlete also expressed backing, writing on social media that “the world of football is lagging behind and your actions drive progress”, while Adelaide United issued a statement supporting their “extraordinary” and “courageous” player.

Some people, however, were less welcoming.

Cavallo soon turned into a target of homophobic abuse by opposition fans.

In January 2022 a competing team were fined five thousand dollars over anti-gay abuse from fans aimed toward Cavallo during a game.

“The comments I encountered were hurtful and disparaging towards my community,” he explains.

“I remained calm because responding would encourage detractors.”

A scary event occurred at a gas station in Australia, where the athlete was assaulted by an individual who identified him from the coverage.

“That was a scary moment,” he recalls. “The thought crossed my mind ‘this is real - individuals intend to hurt me’.

“Should this be tolerated? Absolutely not. But by coming out, these are the consequences.

“My wish is that future individuals who reveals their orientation while competing in soccer at a professional standard doesn't have to experience the journey I have endured.”

Cavallo says the daily death threats and hostile communications have taken a toll on his psychological well-being.

“It's disappointing because I am having to explain why I belong on the football field for my identity,” he says.

“We don't sit straight people down and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’.

“Many individuals see me as a smiling, optimistic person. But there are days when I lean on my fiance, his name, and he witnesses much of what occurs behind the scenes.”

‘Premier League player coming out would move mountains’

The player's choice to disclose his orientation helped prompt teenage Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to come out as the UK's only openly gay playing soccer professional in May 2022.

However, there are zero publicly LGBTQ athletes in the top English division.

“It would move mountains,” says Cavallo on the effect a elite athlete coming out would make.

“But I must be honest. There are a lot of scary things that would come this person's way. In the world of football, identifying as LGBTQ is a very toxic place.”

Twenty-seven years after a pioneering player - the UK's initial out soccer professional - died by suicide in 1998, the current athlete has spoken about the “harmful male culture” that still exists in professional soccer.

“You just need to go to a match and observe the unfriendly atmosphere and male-dominated culture that the crowd brings,” he explains.

“There is still a lot of work to ensure there is a secure environment in soccer for individuals like me and Jake.

“We haven't seen it (more players coming out) as frequently as desired.

“My role is to continue advocating for what I think is right, and strive for eliminating the harmful male norms in soccer locker rooms and establishing secure environments.”

‘My mission is to drive progress’

Cavallo says soccer has enabled discussions within team environments about coming out.

Yet, he is disapproving toward Fifa, after the Middle Eastern nation, where same-sex relationships are against the law, staged the global tournament in 2022.

The 2034 tournament is scheduled in Saudi Arabia, where same-sex attraction is similarly prohibited.

“Am I impressed that the global championship is in nations that ban gay unions, where people like me will be imprisoned for merely living on that land? It's scary,” states the athlete.

“I get messages [from people living in these countries] saying ‘I face imprisonment for being who I am - can you help me?’.

“It breaks my heart that people are getting locked up for their true selves.

“There are countries that are huge in terms of football and they don't accept LGBTQ+ people. Those are the countries that tend to target me.”

Despite this, the footballer says he won't cease advocating.

“Football has enabled dialogue in the changing room. It lets me communicate and educate people who seek understanding.

“Some will disapprove for who you are. But I have found my family. I have found my community.

“My purpose is to create change. That's my objective.”