Joshua Cavallo - the first male to come out while playing top-level football - claims that he was forced to leave his former club due to "internal homophobia".

Cavallo, who recently joined Stamford AFC, left Adelaide United in May 2021 after the club.

In a post on Instagram on Tuesday, Cavallo claimed that officials at Adelaide United sidelined him after he came out, a claim that a club spokesman "categorically denied".

"All on-field decisions relating to team selection are made solely on football decisions," the club said in a statement.

In his Instagram post, Cavallo said he had taken a long time to "reflect on how my time at Adelaide United ended", but said he was speaking out because fans needed honesty.

"It's hard to swallow when I realized my own club was homophobic. I was angry because people thought I was on the bench because of injuries, but it was actually internal homophobia that kept me out."

A change in management "policies" kept him off the field and limited his career opportunities, Cavallo said, adding that a photo of his partner was mocked by teammates in a group chat.

"For the first time, I actually thought about whether I should have kept my sexuality a secret."

An Adelaide United spokesman - scheduled to play in its fourth Pride Cup match on Saturday - said he was "very disappointed" by the claims made.

"Adelaide United has always been committed to promoting an inclusive environment for players, staff and fans, and we are proud of our ongoing work to promote inclusion in football."

Cavallo previously spoke about receiving almost daily death threats after his decision to come out, but said his only regret was that he hadn't done so sooner.

His 2021 announcement inspired Jake Daniels, who in 2022, at the age of 17, became the first British male professional footballer to come out in over 30 years.