Clarke Carlisle admits giving former Burnley teammate Wade Elliott homophobic abuse 'because he looked a bit effeminate'

Carlisle is due in court for sentencing on Thursday for drink driving

Clarke Carlisle is recovering after stepping into an oncoming lorry in December (PA)

Clarke Carlisle has made a candid admission that he used to bully his former Burnley teammate Wade Elliot by giving him homophobic abuse.

The former Chairman of the Professional Footballers’ Association played at Turf Moor with Elliot between 2007 and 2011.

“My stomach is turning as I say it, but homophobic abuse, because he is small and people thought he looked a bit effeminate maybe,” Carlisle told GQ magazine.

“I have the PFA to thank for making me see how wrong that was. [Football] is also a very homoerotic environment…everyone slapping backsides.

Goalscorers Wade Elliot, left, and El Hadji Diouf, share a joke (Getty Images)

“But when homophobic abuse is targeted at one individual, it is horrendous... Calling him gay when he wasn’t. My stomach is really churning now.”

He said he has since apologised to Elliot.

Carlisle also admitted that a female physio with the team was routinely “objectified” while he played with the side.

“Not by everyone, but she was, inappropriately, at times, definitely,” he said.

Carlisle is due in court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

The defender, who retired from professional football in 2013, confessed that he attempted to take his own life two days prior to his arrest on 20 December 2014.