Reports: Gay Soccer Star Stephen Laybutt 'Took His Own Life'

Stephen Laybutt, a former member of the Australian men's national soccer team the Socceroos, reportedly committed suicide last weekend. Laybutt, 46, came out as gay after his retirement.

Reporting that Laybutt "reportedly took his own life," Australian news source news.com.au detailed that the soccer champ "had been visiting friends in Casuarina, in northern NSW, on Friday evening [Jan. 13] before he went missing."

The article went on to say that "Police later found his vehicle parked outside a store in nearby Cabarita at about 11:30 am on Saturday. A search then ensued, and authorities found Laybutt's body in nearby bushland about 7 pm on Sunday."

"NSW Police have ruled out both misadventure and a medical episode, and have reported that his death was not being treated as suspicious," the writeup added.

The athlete "played 15 matches for the Socceroos between 2000 and 2004 while he also played for the Olyroos at the Sydney 2000 Olympics," the news site detailed.

"After a ruptured Achilles tendon during the 2008 A-League series sent Laybutt into retirement, he came out as gay – something he was never comfortable doing throughout his career," UK newspaper the Daily Mail detailed.

After coming out, Laybutt spoke to the corrosive effects of the closet. "It takes a fair bit of effort to hide like that," he said three years ago in remarks to the Sydney Morning Herald. "Just lying to yourself all the time. That breaks you, and you head down a path of self-destruction."

Also in 2021, Laybutt reached out to offer his support to Josh Cavallo when Cavallo became the only top-flight Australian men's soccer star to come out while still active in the sport, the Mail noted.

Famed for his charitable work, the soccer champ was also noted for his life-saving gift of a kidney to a 67-year-old patient named Ian Pavey he met while working at a hospital in Sydney, Australia, News.com.au recalled.

"People have asked me what the thought process was behind it," Laybutt said of the organ donation. "I just thought it was the right thing to do."

Sports colleagues mourned his passing and recalled him in glowing terms.

"Football manager and former player Ante Juric said Laybutt was a 'great teammate' when they played together in the Sydney Olympics NSL championship season in 2002," reported the Sydney Morning Herald.

Calling Laybutt "one of the good guys," Juric added, "It is so sad to see someone so young pass away, he is in my thoughts and prayers and no doubt in the prayers of the wider football community."

Ante Covic, who played on the Socceroos as a goalkeeper, called Laybutt a "hard man on the field, but a gentle giant off the field," and declared, "There was not a bad bone in him," the Herald went on to note.

The Herald also relayed that soccer icon Robbie Slater spoke highly of Laybutt, praising him for his embrace of authenticity. "He was an extremely courageous person," Slater said, adding that "there's not many have openly come out."