Jake Daniels leaps to Blackpool team-mate Marvin Ekpiteta’s defence after deleted homophobic tweets emerge
BLACKPOOL starlet Jake Daniels has defended team-mate Marvin Ekpiteta after the defender's homophobic tweets emerged online.
The 17-year-old starlet bravely revealed he was gay earlier in the week - and has received overwhelming support from around football.
In the aftermath of Daniels' revelation, centre-back Ekpiteta was forced to delete old homophobic tweets and put a statement on social media apologising for his words.
And now Daniels has replied to his post where he defended his actions.
He even stated that he is proud to call him a team-mate as he insisted those aren't the views Ekpiteta has today.
Daniels : "What you said ten years ago at 17 years old doesn’t define the man you are today.
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"I am proud to be your team-mate and to be part of the Blackpool family.
"We are all moving football forwards together."
Ekpiteta subsequently liked Daniels' post, with the teenager praised for his wholesome message.
The old tweets included three clapping emojis in response to the news in 2013 that Nigeria had outlawed gay marriage.
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In the same year, he said it was “disgusting” and “ridiculous” that TV soap Hollyoaks had five gay characters.
Ekpiteta, who has been interim captain for much of the campaign in the absence of injured club skipper Chris Maxwell, also blasted a gay plot line in Towie in 2012.