QUEBEC, CANADA – Former Major League Soccer player, David Testo, told the CBC that he was gay and regrets not coming out sooner. Testo played for the Columbus Crew.

“I’m gay, I’m gay. I did not choose. It’s just part of who I am. And it has nothing to do with the talent of a soccer player. You can be both an excellent soccer player and be gay…” Testo told the CBC, according to OutSports.

“I really regret not having said [this] publicly earlier. I fought with it all my life, my whole career. Living the life of a professional athlete and being gay is incredibly difficult. It is like wearing a secret… it saps all your energy to you, in addition to having to perform, having to play.”