One Direction singer Harry Styles has shown his support for out NFL star Michael Sam.
The band were performing in Missouri this week – the player’s home state and the base of his current team, the St Louis Rams.
Styles, 20, stepped out for the show in a Sam’s 96 Rams jersey, to cheers from the crowd.
At one point, he turned his back to the camera and gestured to Sam’s name on the jersey, in a show of solidarity.
After discovering the British singer’s gesture, the defensive player tweeted him to thank him for his support.
@Harry_Styles thank you for your support!!! #RamNation — Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 28, 2014
It was revealed last month that Sam’s Rams jersey is currently the sixth most sold across the entire NFL , after just two months as a player.
One Directon singer Liam Payne faced a backlash on Twitter earlier this year , after sending a message of support to the son of homophobic Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson, which praises “the family values you still all behold.”
Robertson has repeatedly made anti-gay comments, questioning why gay men would prefer “a man’s anus” over a vagina , while other members of the family have made appearances at the events of religious anti-gay groups.
In February, Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw revealed that he had been besieged with “homophobic death threats” from One Direction fans , after his producer branded band member Louis Tomlinson ‘annoying’ during a game.
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