Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton believes that football as a whole needs to make gay footballers feel comfortable to come out.

The 31-year-old is fronting a campaign by gay rights charity Stonewall, who have sent out rainbow laces to all Premier League and Football League clubs for players to wear on their boots in a bid to stamp out homophobia.

"It'll be incredibly difficult to be the first gay player to come out until the game makes it easier for them to do so," the Daily Star quotes Barton as saying. "It's important we take the first steps with this campaign."

The players will don the laces during matches this weekend.