West Ham United winger Matt Jarvis has called on gay footballers to be open about their sexuality after posing for the cover of Attitude magazine.

The 26-year-old has become the third footballer to appear on the front of the bestselling gay magazine and the former Wolverhampton Wanderers player has claimed that homosexuality in sport shouldn't be a "shock" in today's society.

"It's everyday life," Jarvis told the magazine. "It's not something that's going to be a shock. I'm sure there are many footballers who are gay, but when they decide to actually come out and say it, it is a different story. It's one that I'm sure they've thought about many times. But it's a hard thing for them to do."

David Beckham and Freddie Ljungberg are the other two footballers that have featured on the cover of the publication.