Disgraced ex-ref David Coote comes out as gay and explains why he used cocaine as an ‘escape route’ – two months after videos emerged of him snorting powder and insulting Jurgen Klopp

Former Premier League referee David Coote has come out as gay in an emotional interview – two months after explosive videos emerged of him and ended his career. 

Coote told The Sun that he turned to drugs over fear of coming out in the ‘macho world’ of the Premier League.

‘I felt a deep sense of shame during my teenage years in particular, he said. ‘I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 21. I didn’t come out to my friends until I was 25.

‘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 dealing with hiding that. 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.’

Coote went on to explain his battle with drugs and admitted that he had used them as an escape. 

‘It’s not something I was reliant on day by day, week by week, month by month,’ he said.

David Coote has come out as gay in an emotional interview a month after being sacked as a ref

Coote began his refereeing journey at the age of 14 before working his way up the system

Coote says that he feels a deep sense of regret and doesn’t recognise himself in the videos

David Coote admits he turned to drugs as a way to escape from the stresses of his job

In one leaked video, Coote made disparaging remarks about ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp

When the PGMOL sacked Coote last month, they vowed to provide him with support

‘I’ve had long periods where I’ve not used it – but it was one of the escape routes I had. Just getting away from the stresses, the relentlessness of the job. It fills me with a huge sense of shame to say that I took that route.

‘I don’t recognise myself in the cocaine video. I can’t resonate with how I felt then, but that was me. I was struggling with the schedule and there was no opportunity to stop. And so I found myself in that position – escaping.’ 

The disgraced former referee was fired by the PGMOL last month after the emergence of videos which landed Coote in significant trouble, the first seemingly showing the 42-year-old badmouthing Liverpool‘s ex-manager Jurgen Klopp.

The PGMOL’s investigation was then extended to look into another clip which was made public, alleging to show him sniffing a white powder through a rolled-up bank note. 

It was apparently taken during the summer’s European Championship. 

The PGMOL found Coote’s actions made his position as a Premier League official ‘untenable’ and the organisation headed up by Howard Webb terminated his employment with immediate effect.

When they sacked him in December, the PGMOL vowed to provide Coote with support in their statement. 

‘David Coote’s actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable,’ the statement read.

‘Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare.’