As the dust begins to settle after the announcement by Surrey and England cricketer Steven Davies that he is gay, the time has come for a range of sports particularly those dominating national sporting life to consider why it remains such a rarity for a playing athlete to publicly declare his sexuality.

Although it was right that Davies’s declaration received substantial media coverage at the start of last week, concerns need to be expressed about how the The Daily Telegraph covered the story milking it for an element of sensationalism. Although media attention has been essentially positive, the fear is that the level of exposure is likely to deter other sportspeople from making similar declarations. It is here that the professional sporting bodies and associations need to step in to advise players and athletes, whilst the fans, supporters and growing army of pundits need to be educated so that they display more sensitivity to those considering taking this brave public step.