Rylan revealed his skull was fractured in a homophobic attack in his documentary Rylan: Homophobia, Football and Me, which explores football as an LGBTQ+ fan. Looking back on his own life experiences, Rylan remembered waking up in the back of an ambulance after he was attacked.
During the documentary, Rylan, who visited a playground where he would hang out with his friends after school, took the opportunity to speak openly about the time he was ambushed and attacked.
Rylan said: “There was this group of boys who weren’t our friends, and they weren’t very nice. I remember, just this hand coming on the back of my head, throwing me down to the floor from the platform, and just getting kicked in the head.
“And the next full memory I have is being in the back of an ambulance, and waking up right here, driving past my house on the way to the hospital. I remember saying, ‘I live there, that’s my house,’ because I didn’t know what was going on, and the doctor said, ‘Lay down, lay down, your head is bleeding.'”
The star detailed the extent of his injuries following the attack. He added: “My skull was fractured in a couple of places. I was told my head was repeatedly kicked and stamped on. I just got kicked in the head because I liked something else other than football.”
Growing up as a West Ham football fan, Rylan said that sometimes as a gay man he “felt uncomfortable around spectators at the games”.
He further explained: “I’m not one to be easily offended but some of the language and insults that are used on a daily basis by football crowds made going to games almost impossible, especially as I got more and more known and started having them directed at me.
“This documentary aims to highlight that football is for everyone regardless of what you get up to in your private life. I talk to fans, players, past and present, about how the beautiful game could be even prettier for everyone to enjoy, and how as fans we can change to help make players feel comfortable sharing their sexuality if they wish to do so.”
Rylan: Homophobia, Football and Me was released to coincide with LGBT+ History Month on Tuesday, February 13.