Andre Gray: Burnley striker apologises for homophobic tweets and asks for 'forgiveness'

The tweets began to resurface following Gray's goal in a 2-0 win over Liverpool on Saturday

Gray scored in Burnley's 2-0 win against Liverpool on Saturday (Getty)

Andre Gray has apologised for homophobic tweets he made four years ago and has asked for ‘forgiveness’.

The tweets, which date back to January 2012 when Gray was playing for non-league Hinckley United, began to resurface following the 25-year-old’s goal in a 2-0 Premier League win over Liverpool on Saturday.

Several of the offensive messages, some of which appeared to condone killing gay people, were subsequently deleted. One read: "Is it me or are there gays everywhere? #Burn #Die #Makesmesick”.

Another read: “Ladies stop dressin ur sons as women in heels and make up. Do you want him to end up like #PeteBurns #F****.”

Gray’s tweets have received widespread condemnation from social media users, people inside football and LGBT organisations.

The incident comes just a month after he criticised two Burnley fans for racism during a pre-season friendly.

In a statement made on Saturday night, Gray said he was now a "completely different person" to the one who posted those messages and he did not "hold the beliefs written in those tweets”.

"I want to offer a sincere and unreserved apology to anybody I may have offended in relation to these tweets,” Gray said.

"The tweets were posted four years ago when I was a completely different person to the man I am now. I was at a very different point in my life back then - one that I've worked hard to move on from.

"I realise I have made some big mistakes, none more so than these tweets, but I would like to stress that I've worked incredibly hard to completely transform my life since that time.

"I do not hold the beliefs written in those tweets whatsoever. I can assure everybody that I am absolutely not homophobic."

This is not the first time a Premier League footballer has been embroiled in scandal for remarks made on social media.

Robert Huth, the Leicester City defender, was handed a two-match suspension by the Football Association in January 2015 after publishing transphobic messages on Twitter.

Huth, then at Stoke City, was also fined £15,000 and ordered to complete a mandatory education course.

Andre Gray's statement in full:

"I would like to respond to media reports with regards to previous tweets posted from my Twitter account.

"Firstly, I want to offer a sincere and unreserved apology to anybody I may have offended in relation to these tweets. The tweets were posted four years ago when I was a completely different person to the man I am now. I was at a very different point in my life back then - one that I've worked hard to move on from.

"Thankfully a lot has changed in my life since then. I have experienced a lot over the past four years and have had to take responsibility for a number of things in my life which has enabled me to mature and grow as a person since that time.

"I have a lot of regrets regarding a number of things I've done in the past and realise I have made some big mistakes, none more so than these tweets, but I would like to stress that I've worked incredibly hard to completely transform my life since that time.

"To clarify, I do not hold the beliefs written in those tweets whatsoever. I can assure everybody that I am absolutely not homophobic and as said previously I can only apologise and ask for forgiveness to anyone I offended.

"Thankfully I am not the guy I was back then and will continue to work hard both on and off the pitch to become a better person."