Former goalkeeper for Arsenal, Jens Lehmann said that any footballer who wanted to come out as gay “would be nuts”.

When Sky Germany asked the former UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year what he thought about footballers revealing they are gay, he said, “Anyone doing that would be nuts. You can’t advise anyone to do so, they would no longer have fun playing football.

“You can’t foresee what would happen. They would no longer have fun playing football.”

He added, “Football is a man’s sport.”

Lehmann played alongside midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, who came out earlier this month,  for the German national squad and VfP Stuttgart. He said that if Hitzlsperger had have came out of the closet at that time, it would have caused problems in the locker room. “You shower together every day, and there are times when it would be difficult.

“I know for sure that there would have been a few players, be it opponents or others in the dressing room, who would have permanently made jokes.”

The 44 year-old goalkeeper retired from professional football in 2011 and is currently working towards his FIFA coaching license at Arsenal.