FOOTBALLER Adnan Ahmed has laughed off suggestions that he's become a gay icon after posing as a cowboy for Huddersfield Town's club calendar.

The 22-year-old midfielder from Barnoldswick and fellow players were innocently pictured in wild west costumes during pre-season for the 2006 calendar.

But comparisons have been drawn recently between the group of "Young Guns" and stars of Oscar-winning gay cowboy film Brokeback Mountain.

Fans of Soccer AM on SkySports 1 were first to spot the joke but Adnan has since had his image plastered over national newspapers.

And even though he admitted the extra limelight is not exactly what he craved, Adnan has helped shift the calendars off the shelves as fans rush to see the stars.

He said: "It's quite embarrassing. I couldn't believe it when I saw my picture on TV. It could have been any of the other players but they chose to show me.

"It was just done as a promotion during pre-season trying to promote the "Young Guns" who had made a big impact along with the senior squad."

Town retail manager Michele Adamson said the extra publicity had been great.

She said: "The reaction has been fun and we've all had a laugh about it especially as the calendar is now a sell-out!

"Our Young Guns were on the scene long before anyone had heard of Brokeback Mountain and, far from people being embarrassed by it, they've made it the fastest-selling calendar we've ever had."

Adnan, one of the few Asian professionals in the UK, rose through the ranks of youth football in the Burnley area and signed his first professional contract with Huddersfield Town last year.

He starred when Town played Chelsea in the FA Cup earlier this year.