Michail Antonio has vowed to keep on scoring and assisting after becoming the first West Ham United player to reach 100 direct Premier League goal involvements.
Antonio’s pass for Tomáš Souček to net the Hammers’ equaliser in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brentford was his 33rd top-flight assist.
When added to the 67 goals he has scored, the 34-year-old was raising his proverbial bat, rather than the cardboard cutout of himself he raised after breaking the Club’s all-time record Premier League scoring record against Leicester City in August 2021, after reaching his century.
Signed from Nottingham Forest in summer 2015, Antonio is now in his tenth season in east London and has since proven himself to be one of the best-value Premier League signings, by any club, in the past decade.
The Hammers’ leading goalscorer in four of the previous nine seasons, Antonio began his football journey with non-league Tooting & Mitcham United before making his way up through the divisions, and arrived at West Ham as a goalscoring winger.
He was then deployed in a host of positions, including right-back, won the Hammer of the Year award in 2016/17 and then established himself as the Club’s first-choice centre-forward.
“It has been an incredible journey for me, really,” the No9 told whufc.com. “I started out playing football in the street and at community schemes in south London, and was fortunate that I had good advice from my Mum, my brother and my coaches that kept me away from trouble.
“I had some trials at clubs when I was a teenager and got turned down and I thought about stopping football, but I stuck at it at Tooting & Mitcham and then signed for Reading when I was 18. I went out on loan a few times and scored for Southampton at Wembley in the Football League Trophy final in 2010 and it all went on from there.
“I have loved my time at West Ham, even when I was playing right-back! We’ve had some amazing times, saying goodbye to the Boleyn Ground and then moving into London Stadium and having some big success in Europe, winning the Conference League.
“I’m so proud to have played a big part in those moments and to have reached 100 Premier League goals and assists. Getting to 100 Premier League goals is going to be tough, but I want to set a number that will be really hard to catch and break Mark Noble’s record for Premier League assists and I’m only a few behind, so Nobes, I’m coming for you!”
Former midfielder and captain Noble registered 39 Premier League assists in his career, six more than Antonio is currently on.
As for his favourite Premier League goal and assist, Antonio’s selections will be unlikely to surprise any West Ham supporters!
“My favourite goal was the one against Leicester that broke the record, and my favourite assists were the hat-trick of assists I got against Crystal Palace [in January 2017], with the best being the cross for Andy Carroll’s volley!” he smiled.
Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate Michail on reaching 100 Premier League goals and assists.
