Josh Cavallo working on new series about gay Premier League footballer
Joshua Cavallo. (Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
Joshua Cavallo. (Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
Josh Cavallo is consulting on a new web-series telling the story of a fictional gay Premier League footballer.
Armour will star stage and screen actor Jordan Luke Gage as well as “Bad Boys” hitmaker Alexandra Burke and be told over a 10-episode YouTube free to watch series, each episode being 10 minutes.
Deadline reports Armour “will follow fictional Premier League club Fountains Athletic FC and their rising star Harry Slade (Gage), an England international whose world is turned upside down after a risky hook-up with another man leads to his sexts falling into the hands of a tabloid.
“He must make a decision: risk being outed by the press, or control the narrative and tell the world on his own terms.”
Burke is reported to be player Lorna, the first Black female manager of a men’s club. Armour will also star Aedan Duckworth, Kate James, Alex Britt, and Will Fitzgerald.
The series has been created by Tim Reynard, a current student at the National Film and Television School, and is inspired by his experiences growing up gay, being closeted, and being a football fan.
“As a Yorkshireman, football has always been in my blood,” Reynard has said. “Growing up as a closeted gay man with an obsession for the game, I rarely saw myself reflected in it. With Armour, we want to tell a story that’s raw, authentic and filled with hope – not just for the queer fans craving an idol, but the young players coming up the ranks who need a role model”
Cavallo, who came out in 2021 becoming the first out gay top-flight male professional footballer in the world, said he was “thrilled” consult on the series. He would be “helping to make sure the story feels as real and grounded as possible – both in the script and with the actors,” as per Deadline.
Cavallo also said, “With a gay showrunner leading the project, there’s a real authenticity driving it, and the fact it will be free to watch on YouTube makes it accessible to young players everywhere.
“There are so few role models and authentic stories to look to, and this project has the potential to change that. It feels like the right time, and the right way, to bring a story of hope and authenticity to football.”
Filming for the web-series is due to begin in spring 2026.
Football icon Justin Fashanu made history by becoming the first professional footballer to come out as gay in 1990. He was hounded by the homophobic British tabloid press, and tragically took his own life in 1998.
At the moment, only six out-gay footballers are known of in the world. In contrast, women’s professional football has proven time and time again to be well ahead of the men’s game when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation.
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