West Ham United's Matt Jarvis becomes third footballer to appear on 'Attitude' cover

West Ham United winger Matt Jarvis has called on gay footballers to be open about their sexuality after posing for the cover of Attitude magazine.

The 26-year-old has become the third footballer to appear on the front of the bestselling gay magazine and the former Wolverhampton Wanderers player has claimed that homosexuality in sport shouldn't be a "shock" in today's society.

"It's everyday life," Jarvis told the magazine. "It's not something that's going to be a shock. I'm sure there are many footballers who are gay, but when they decide to actually come out and say it, it is a different story. It's one that I'm sure they've thought about many times. But it's a hard thing for them to do."

David Beckham and Freddie Ljungberg are the other two footballers that have featured on the cover of the publication.