Michail Antonio reveals he could LEAVE West Ham before he is even back in full training five months after horror car crash
Michail Antonio has revealed that he could be looking for a new club ahead of next season despite the West Ham striker continuing to recover from his horrific car accident in December of last year.
On December 7, the West Ham forward was airlifted to hospital with a broken leg after being cut from the wreckage of his £260,000 grey Ferrari by fire crews in Essex.
After colliding with a tree on his way home from training in Epping Forest, the striker was trapped for more than 45 minutes and feared for his life.
Antonio underwent surgery for a broken leg the following day, but has worked hard on a miraculous recovery which has seen him return to training just four months on from the accident.
The 35-year-old took place in a 12-day warm-weather training programme in Dubai in March, and his manager at the London Stadium Graham Potter revealed that he was ‘due back (training with the first team) soon’ last month.
But Antonio could yet continue his career away from east London, with his contract due to expire at the end of this season.
Michail Antonio has played 323 games for West Ham and is their record Premier League goal-scorer – but could continue his career away from the club
The striker has not played since December 3 and is out of his contract at the end of this season
The 35-year-old was in a devastating car crash in December which left him with a broken leg
‘The question is whether the club wants to extend my contract,’ Antonio told L’Equipe in a new interview. ‘That’s my priority, but I’m waiting.
‘Until then, all I can do is focus on my recovery so that, wherever I am next year, I can deliver.’
Antonio also stated that he had ambitions of extending his Premier League goal tally, which currently sits at 68.
‘I’d like to push the record forward so that Jarrod Bowen doesn’t catch me,’ Antonio said of his Hammers team-mate, who is currently on 54 goals.
Antonio also shed light on the support that West Ham gave him in the aftermath of the crash, revealing that the Premier League side had paid for a private room at a hotel for him to continue his convalescence with medial support and privacy.
‘West Ham were incredible for me from the very beginning, and even today, they are there for me every day,’ Antonio added.
But while a potential move away from the club remains in play with his deal drawing to a close, recovery continues to prove a challenging prospect.
‘The sessions are very tough,’ the forward continued. ‘After each one, my leg is dead for a few hours!
Graham Potter previously shared in April that Antonio was tipped to return to full training ‘soon’
‘I do a lot of strength and power work to get my body back to normal. I’m still struggling because my brain is constantly telling my leg, “You can’t do it.”‘
But, he added: ‘It’s getting better every day, every week.’
Last month, West Ham’s record Premier League goal-scorer revisited the car’s remains at a scrapyard, which put the horror incident into perspective.
‘It gave me a weird feeling in my stomach,’ Antonio told BBC One programme Morning Live.
‘It just made me realise how close I was to dying. I had seen the pictures, but it was 10 times worse in person. The car was an absolute mess. It was difficult for me.
‘All I know is that I hit a tree – I don’t know how I hit a tree – and that the police came and when they found me in the car, I was in between the two seats.
‘From the crash, I’ve been more of an emotional man. I was avoiding going back because I was slightly embarrassed by the crash and the accident. Obviously I’ve almost died in the car crash.’
