'He’s made waves:' Blackpool man's long-term impact predicted following new Sky Sports documentary

Beneath the Surface sees the 19-year-old, who is currently on loan with Warrington Rylands, speak to former international swimmer Michael Gunning about wanting to be seen as more than ‘the gay footballer.’

The forward came out publicly in 2022, making him the first openly gay professional player since Justin Fashanu in 1990, with the announcement coming shortly after his first, and only, senior appearance for the Seasiders.

During the summer, the youngster signed a new one-year deal at Bloomfield Road, and spent parts of pre-season around the first-team squad.

Following his debut as both a director and a producer for the new Sky Sports documentary, former Team GB representative Gunning admits he was left impressed by talking to Daniels, and believes the impact of his decision to publicly come out will be evident in the long-term.

“I’m so happy with how open and honest he was - he’s just a really nice guy,” he said.

“He’s on the journey of football and he loves it, and that’s what I tried to show in the documentary, everyone can play football and have fun.

“I’m in awe of him so much. I only came out in 2018, and I’m 30 now. He managed to accept himself much earlier than I did, and in a sport that isn’t necessarily the most accepting to the LGBTQ+ community.

“We’ve obviously come a long way, and the fact Jake could feel he could be himself is just amazing. Mental health is a big thing athletes go through, so I’m so glad he’s in a better space having come out.

“He’s so bright for his age, and has a great future ahead of him.

“For me personally, I was the first out swimmer, and it can be a very lonely time, but all you should be thinking about as an athlete is how you’re performing and recovering, and not necessarily the other aspects.

“That’s why I suppressed my sexuality for so long because I wasn’t ready to deal with it.

“Jake should be out there playing football, but he’s got to bat away the negative comments.

“Hopefully with him being the first, it can inspire so many people to embrace him, and give them the support they need.

“He’s made waves throughout the whole sporting world, having him as that representation to know it’s okay and knowing you can be a gay footballer is something that has inspired many. Hopefully in the next few years we’ll be able to see more people being able to be themselves.”