A Premier League footballer is afraid of publicly announcing his bisexuality, an ex-boyfriend has revealed.

According to The Sun, the player is an international who has a child with his current girlfriend, while his close friends are aware of his sexual orientation.

The player was reportedly involved in a four-year relationship with a 21-year-old fashion industry worker, who claims that his former partner is scared of the public reaction to his sexuality.

"The Premier League's a very weird environment for a gay or bi man," the partner told The Sun.

"It's a modern institution nothing like the rest of society. If two men want a consensual sexual relationship in this country, in most cases, no-one would blink an eye. But for us, if anyone found out, it could ruin his career. He feels like he'd face constant abuse and bullying from the terraces. It isn't the players that are the problem - although he is guarded with who knows. It is because of the backlash from the fans that he is terrified of it coming out.

"He's scared about chants and torment from the stands. His relationship with me is strictly secret. He's very manly and very much 'One of the lads'. But he is bisexual and struggles with that. It's like it's something deeply shameful he has to carry around with him. That shouldn't be the case in 2018. The fact there is no openly gay Premier League player shows how far they are from that point. It's a shame that gay and bi men are persecuted so much in football."

The report also claims that the pair last slept together in November 2017.