The news many people have been hoping to hear broke this afternoon, as Robbie Rogers was spotted training with the LA Galaxy.
After becoming the first US soccer player to openly admit he was gay, Rogers received admiration and huge support from the soccer community worldwide.
But with his announcement Rogers also retired from the game, which saddened many soccer fans.
However it seems as though Rogers has taken a massive U-turn on his decision to retire from professional soccer at the age of 25.
The former USMNT midfielder was spotted by LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano training in California this afternoon. You can clearly see Rogers in the picture below.
This news arrives just hours after NBA player Jason Collins came out and perhaps this has taken some of the pressure off of Rogers’ shoulders. As Steve Davis mentioned in this blog earlier today, Rogers’ decision to come out has almost been brushed aside by the mainstream US media, as Collins’ announcement was described as the “first active professional major team sport athlete to do so.”
(More: Wait a minute! Didn’t Robbie Rogers already break this professional sports gay barrier?)
So with Collins coming out, maybe Rogers now feels he can return to soccer without the media following his every move?
Either way, the brave step from Rogers is sure to sit well with fans of LA and the US national team, as his talented wing play can still be used on the soccer field.
If he is to return to Major League Soccer, the Chicago Fire hold his rights. So if the training stint with LA is anything more than that, Rogers’ rights will have to be acquired from Chicago by the Galaxy.
But that could be way down the line, as Rogers is most likely just staying in shape as he trains for the first-time in months after leaving his contract with Leeds United of the English Championship.
Whether this is just a temporary return to training, or more, one thing is for sure: this is a huge step forward for Robbie Rogers, the professional soccer player.
