Shamed former Premier League referee David Coote has revealed that a lifelong struggle to hide his sexuality contributed to the X-rated rant that saw him dismissed from his post last year.

Coote was initially suspended last October after footage emerged of him mocking ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp in a video that was widely shared on social media.

In an interview with The Sun, Coote said: “My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay, and that I’ve had real struggles with hiding that.

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“I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well — a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being.

“And that’s led me to a whole course of behaviours.”