Young Socceroo Josh Cavallo has announced himself as the only current gay male professional footballer in the world after revealing his sexual orientation in an emotional post on social media.

The 21-year-old Adelaide United midfielder took the brave step to become the first openly gay male athlete to play in the A-League and the only current male professional in the world by penning an open letter on Twitter.

Cavallo, who has made one appearance for Australia’s youth team and cited the need to help create a safe space for others to come forward, made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon.

“Today, I’m ready to speak about something personal that I’m finally comfortable to talk about in my life,” he wrote.

“I am proud to publicly announce that I am gay.

“It’s been a journey to get to this point in my life, but I couldn’t be happier with my decision.

“It is astonishing to know that there are currently no gay professional footballers who are out and actively playing, not only in Australia but around the world.

“Hopefully this will change in the near future.”