Former Brit Footballer Says Gay Rumors Sidelined Career

Ian Bishop, a former footballer who never made it to Britain's major leagues, blames untrue gay rumors for stunting his career.

Bishop, 47, said in a recent interview that whispers about him being in a relationship with another player were the reason he was never recruited to Britain's top football teams.

"Nothing against gay people. People are free to be what they want and there's no issue. It didn't hurt me to be called it -- it hurt me because it affected my life," Bishop, who now lives in the U.S., told the Manchester Evening News. "In a way, it could have affected my international prospects at the time. I just thought if that's the way they think, then I'm not bothered anymore."

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