Why does everyone keep saying my guy friend loves me and I should give him a chance? He’s one of my closest friends.

One of my guy friends I’ve known since 5th grade claims to like me. My friends have been telling me for YEARS that he LIKES ME. He’s had a huge crush on me for a long time but I’ve been TOO busy paying attention to guys that had no interest in me and I’ve been chasing after good looking babes. That guy I had at he biggest crush on they told me I’ve been paying too much attention to him and never looked at my guy friend’s way. I mean we’re great friends and I don’t want to ruin the friendship I mean he’s kind loyal funny and every time there was a school dance he would always directly ask ME. Not other girls. He should’ve gave other girls a chance but he always wants to ask me. Date around! I mean he did go to dances with other girls but always directly look at ME. He said he had only one real girlfriend in his life but that didn’t work out. I went with them twice but as friends. My friends keep telling me that he really really loves me and he’s one of the guys that truly loves me and I’m just way too blind to see it.
My close friend had to knock some sense into me and said, “He may not be the best looking guy, but his personality is AMAZING and YOU need to stop being so stubborn and see that he is a man that truly likes you. You complain that there’s NO good men around in modern days anymore. Average guys make better boyfriends than pretty boys. He’s been chasing you for YEARS! Like a decade and you still chose guys that are no good for you. You’re afraid of a REAL relationship.”
There can be good looking people that make excellent partners. I don’t wanna ruin the friendship.