Professional footballers in England and Scotland have been invited to support a campaign addressing homophobia in the game by wearing rainbow laces in their boots next weekend.

Sets of laces have been sent to each individual player at every Premier League and Football League club, plus at the 42 teams in the Scottish Professional Football League by gay rights charity Stonewall, who are being backed by bookmaker Paddy Power.

The Right Behind Gay Footballers campaign is focused on changing attitudes in football rather than urging players to come out and wants players to wear the laces in games on September 21 and 22.