Story byRetired footballer Zander Murray at Edinburgh Pride in 2023 [SNS]Iona Young - BBC ScotlandSat, February 7, 2026 at 8:17 AM UTC·5 min readWhile sitting on a balcony in Benidorm, Zander Murray made a decision that would change his life forever, and for the better. He released a secret he had kept for 16 years, and announced to friends on social media that he was gay - making him the first senior male player in Scottish football to come out. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow, nearly four years on, the former striker says he is so much happier living life as his "authentic self". He now devotes his time to championing others as a public speaker and activist. The 34-year-old says that although football has made progress in becoming more inclusive, the men's game in Scotland still has a long way to go to catch up with the women's in terms of LGBT visibility. Murray played with Gala Fairydean Rovers where he had scored more than 100 goals [SNS]Speaking to Radio Scotland Breakfast he said: "I just replayed my whole life - 16 years of pain and struggling in the closet - and I just thought to myself, 'What is the big deal?'AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I didn't have any social media at the time, just my private Facebook which had my football boys on it and I thought, 'Do you know what - I am just going to make a wee post.'"Then I fell asleep, when I woke up it was an explosion of notifications, all the media outlets picked it up."But the reason I am here doing what I am doing are the thousands of messages I got from young people, old people, from football academies, people from all walks of life, from different careers, finance, police officers, all struggling with their sexuality."'Zero gay or bisexual men in football'At the time Murray, from Glasgow, was playing for Gala Fairydean Rovers - he has previously praised the club's management and his fellow players for their support. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut he was overwhelmed by the public response to his story and felt privileged to be offering hope to others - some of whom had contemplated taking their own lives before reading his story."They saw my story and it helped them," he said. "After that, I knew I needed to continue."Murray still remembers how difficult it was to be trapped, and now realises he had been grappling with internalised homophobia. This is when LGBT people encounter negative beliefs in society towards the LGBT community, absorb those beliefs and accept them to be true. Footballer blown away by support after coming outFirst openly gay Scottish footballer to retire'They need to be challenged', says councillor standing up to homophobic abuse"I despised myself back then," he said.
