Premier League star ‘complains his club are making it look like he’s gay’ – after they put him on the cover of their Rainbow Laces game programme two years in a row

A Premier League star reportedly complained to his club that they made him appear gay.

The player in question was featured on the front of the club’s matchday programme during the LGBTQ+ Rainbow Laces campaign period for two seasons in a row, according to The Athletic, leading to his concern.

This has emerged amid news that the Premier League are launching a new LGBTQ+ allyship campaign from February 6 to February 13 called With Pride.

Last year the Premier League severed its partnership with the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, having first started working together in 2014, and thus ending the Rainbow Laces initiative.

The new campaign will put less pressure on individual players to align with the LGBTQ+ community. Captains will not be asked to wear rainbow armbands and players will not have to wear pride-themed warm-up tops or rainbow laces.

Both of those demands caused conflict last season. Ipswich’s Muslim captain Sam Morsy refused to wear the rainbow armband, and Crystal Palace’s Christian skipper Marc Guehi scrawled ‘I love Jesus’ and then ‘Jesus loves you’ on his. Manchester United did not warm up in their pride-themed jacket as Noussair Mazraoui, a Muslim player, refused to wear it.

In the new campaign, there will be pride-related themes on stadium screens, advertising boards, pre-match handshake boards, and the ball plinths.

The hope is that this will reduce friction with individual players.

Last season, Guehi, who is the son of a church minister, opted to scrawl the message ‘I love Jesus’ on his armband for Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle, and was subsequently reprimanded by the FA.

Despite being reminded of kit regulations, Guehi chose to write a new message – ‘Jesus loves you’ – ahead of Palace’s 1-0 win at Ipswich in the following match.

‘I think the message was pretty clear to be honest,’ Guehi told Sky Sports. ‘It was a message of love and truth as well, and a message of inclusivity so I think it speaks for itself.’

He was not punished but he was reprimanded by the FA, who reminded him their and FIFA’s rules ban ‘any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images’ on players’ equipment, which includes armbands – though this did not extend to LGBTQ+ messaging.

Guehi’s father John told Daily Mail Sport: ‘I am saying did he offend anyone? I don’t think so. I do believe in what the Bible says, Jesus loves everyone, and, in my opinion, Marc did not offend anyone with what he wrote.

‘Jesus loved everyone therefore by saying “I love Jesus” on his armband I really don’t see what is offensive and what the problem is.