A giant inflatable football player looming higher than a two-storey house was paraded at Brighton Pride this weekend to highlight the lack of LGBTQ players in the Premier League.
Taking two hours to inflate and requiring enough helium to fill 7,000 balloons, the gigantic Game Changer inflatable took to the skies as tens of thousands of people convened on the south coast.
It is the largest inflatable ever used at a pride parade in the UK standing at seven metres tall and 14 metres long.
Graeme Souness and Proud United – a team made up of LGBTQ footballers from across the nation – walked in the shadow of the colossal balloon.
The Liverpool legend and football pundit took up the role as the symbolic 'boss' of the team which aims to draw attention the lack of visibility for LGBTQ players.
Right now there are no openly gay or bisexual players in the Premier League.
But Souness has joined as an ally for those who are already actively changing the game in the non-professional ranks, fronting the float in association with Paddy Power whose Come Out and Play campaign is now in its second year.
Speaking at the event he said: "Society has made such giant strides generally in terms of LGBTQ, that as football people we've got to ask why does the issue of homophobia persist within our community and the professional game and challenge that.
"I'm here today as an ally and to bring attention to members of the LGBT community in the amateur game who are leading the charge in that conversation."
European Cup hero Souness is no stranger to championing diversity in football, having signed the first black player (Mark Walters, 1987) to play for Rangers and the first Catholic (Mo Johnston) to the club almost 20 years ago to the day.
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