It is little over three months since the West Ham United family - and indeed the entire football community - held its breath following the terrible news that talismanic forward Michail Antonio had been involved in a serious road traffic accident in Epping, Essex.
Thanks to the incredible work of the emergency services and first responders, the 34-year-old was quickly released from his car and taken to hospital in central London, where he duly regained a stable condition and began his road to recovery.
A statement released on whufc.com a day after the crash, on Sunday 8 December 2024, communicated that Antonio had undergone surgery on a lower limb fracture, and he has since had to battle the physical and mental challenges that have accompanied him on his journey in the wake of such a life-changing experience.
Now, speaking in an exclusive interview with award-winning rapper Guvna B, for West Ham TV, our No9 has documented the amazing progress he has made so far, and paid tribute to everyone who has helped him stay strong.
“I’m feeling good,” Antonio said. “I’m lucky to be alive at the end of the day, so I’m very positive when it comes to life now, because I’ve got a second chance at it. I’m never going to let anything drag me down, and right now I’m happy.
“The main reflections I have of the whole process are of how far I’ve come in a short space of time. On the second day they had physios in with me, trying to get me to lift my leg, and I couldn’t even get it off the bed. Now, I can walk and jump, and I’m trying to jog, all within three months.
“When they first told me I needed to get out of bed, they tried to lift my leg up and I wasn’t having it. The pain was ridiculous! But they soon had me up and on crutches, and there was steady progress from then as I tried to build the strength back into my leg and get the muscles working again.
“Within three weeks I was walking, and by five weeks I was walking normally, trying to do more strength work with the leg press. I’m at 130kg on the leg press now, and I can hop and I’m trying to jump. Things are improving all the time, and the muscles are getting back to where they were, which is great. I’ve enjoyed pushing the boundaries, without overdoing it. I’m a lot further ahead than they might’ve thought, and things are going well.
“That’s all down to the people who have helped me, and I’ve obviously said thank you to the relevant people already, a number of times. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t be here without those people. They saved my life, which is precious to me and my family, so all my thanks go to them.”
Just two days after the accident, on 9 December, all inside London Stadium paid tribute to Antonio during the Irons’ 2-1 Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the players warming up and walking out in tops bearing their teammate’s name and number, goalscorers Tomáš Souček and Jarrod Bowen honouring him in their celebrations, and the supporters singing his name throughout the 90 minutes.
While visits from the likes of Vice-Chair Baroness Karren Brady, then-Head Coach Julen Lopetegui and a selection of his teammates served as a major boost to his rehabilitation, Antonio has been touched by the support he’s received from the West Ham family far and wide, as was evident when he made an emotional return to the home of the Hammers before last week’s Newcastle United fixture, on Monday 10 March.
He continued: “I remember watching the Wolves game in hospital, and it made me emotional. I loved the support. Over the next six to eight weeks, every time I watched a game I could hear the fans singing my name, which is something I really appreciated and that has actually helped me massively.
“The support I’ve had has truly been amazing, from day one. Everyone at the Club has been incredible - they were the ones who called my family to tell them what was going on, and they were the ones who turned up to the hospital straight after the crash.
“Karren Brady came to the hospital to see me, the players came to see me, and [Julen] Lopetegui and his staff. I’ve had fans sending me gift packages, and so many messages from supporters, friends and family, so it’s all been a bit overwhelming. It’s been a really emotional time, just from the amount of love I’ve had.
“It has been a mental challenge, but really I’ve believed I can fight back from day one. My attitude was that if the surgeon was telling me I’d be able to walk, run and play again, then I know for a fact it’s going to happen.
“There have been tough times - I don’t remember anything from the first three days of when everything happened, but my body does. There are times when I get upset and emotional, and it’s difficult to understand, but it’s my body telling me that I’m upset.
“On those down days, I speak to my brother, I speak to my agent, I speak to my partner. I also do therapy, which is something I’ve been doing for two-and-a-half years now. I think it’s a really important thing for people to do because there is huge value in speaking to someone who’s just listening to you, and getting you to understand yourself without an opinion. Therapy is probably one of the best things that’s happened to me.
“I’ve had quite a bit of time at home, and I’ve finally watched all of Game of Thrones, eight years after starting it! I’ve had my family over to the house a lot, and we’ve probably grown a bit closer, which is nice.
“Whatever happened with the car crash, it’s made me more focused on the things outside of football. I was quite lackadaisical with things before, putting things off, but the crash has made me realise that there’s not always going to be another time to sort things. I have to do my stuff now, which is what I’m doing.”
While Antonio isn’t setting any specific targets for a return to the football pitch, he is clear about how much he is missing the buzz of training and playing with his mates, as well as scoring in front of the adoring West Ham faithful.
Another - perhaps more light-hearted - factor urging him back is Bowen’s record of four Premier League goals since the accident, that has taken him to 50 and bridged the gap between the pair to 18 at the top of the Club’s top goalscorer ranks in the modern Premier League era.
Antonio added: “My main focus right now is on making sure my leg is right, so I can come back and play. I’m focused on my recovery, spending time with family, and making sure everything’s right.
“But I will be back, 100 per cent. I didn’t get into football because I was a football fan; I played football because it was a hobby I loved. And it’s still my dream, and something I really enjoy.
“There was a time when it did become a hassle, and a job, but then I started to enjoy it again. And that wasn’t because of football; that was because of things going on outside of football. So, I’ll definitely be back kicking the ball again, and I can’t wait.
“Jarrod’s a bit mad about the record still, even though I’ve given him an extra seven months or so! I need to come back, so I can score some more goals and put a bit more distance between us in the standings!”