Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema believes it may take an elite men’s player to come out as gay for football to accept homosexuality.

While several current top female players are openly gay, there has still yet to be a high-profile equivalent among their male counterparts.

Megan Rapinoe, a World Cup winner with the United States who was named Ballon D’Or Feminin winner in 2019, is an LGBTQ activist and Miedema – the current PFA Women’s Player of the Year – is in a relationship with Arsenal team-mate Lisa Evans.

“For me personally, I don’t get why it is still an issue, especially in football because we all share the same passion.

“We are all the same. You all have the same passion, you all want to play football.

“Obviously there is always go be a rivalry, between Chelsea and Arsenal for example, but in the end you have all got the same goal so for me it doesn’t matter who is on the pitch and who you support.

“I think we should be smart and clever enough to keep it friendly, know where the line is and not cross that line.”