SAM Stanley has been left overwhelmed by the support he has received since becoming the first English rugby union player to come out as gay.

The 23-year-old England Sevens international, who comes from Grays, made the brave decision to go public about his sexuality.

And Stanley, a former Thurrock and Saracens player, admitted he could not have received a better reaction from his team-mates and the general public.

“The reaction I’ve received has just been so overwhelming,” Stanley told the Gazette.

“I had wanted to do it for a while because I’ve been comfortable about it in myself but the first step was to tell my team-mates at Ealing Trailfinders.

“It would’ve been too stressful to tell them all individually so I sent it out as a broadcast message on WhatsApp.

“You fear that you’ll become an outcast and all kind of other things but none of them really batted an eye-lid to be honest.

“They all took the news really well and I certainly feel a lot more confident about myself now.”

Stanley, a former William Edwards School pupil, followed in the foot-steps of Welsh rugby union star Gareth Thomas, referee Nigel Owens and rugby league’s Keegan Hirst in coming out as gay.

But Stanley, whose brother Mike – an ex Southend and Thurrock star – who will soon be lining up in the Rugby World Cup for Samoa – felt he could not have done it at the start of his career.

“I feared that I might not be able to achieve what I wanted to in rugby if I had done this sooner, “said Stanley.

“I thought that maybe coaches wouldn’t want me in their teams and that I couldn’t be the macho rugby player I wanted to be so I decided to keep it quiet which was quite difficult.”

Stanley went on to represent England at under 16 and under 18 level.

But off the pitch, he initially struggled to come to terms with his sexuality.

And, during his darkest times, he even contemplated committing suicide.

“I don’t really like talking about it now but there was a time when I was standing over a bridge overlooking a motorway in Essex thinking about jumping,” said Stanley.

“I was really down about it all and it was a way for all the pain, hate, worry and anger you feel to be taken away immediately.

“It sounds ridiculous now looking back but that’s how I felt at the time and unfortunately people do still see that as their only way out.

“I would like to be able to help people in that situation now and hope that the response I’ve received can also help in some small way.”