‘This is not going to stop me’ – Michail Antonio issues defiant comeback statement after escaping death in horror crash
MICHAIL ANTONIO said the broken leg he suffered in a December car accident is not going to stop him from returning to professional football.
The 34-year-old striker crashed his Ferrari in a single-vehicle crash in Epping last December.
He underwent surgery shortly after, later writing on Instagram that he was grateful to be alive.
Set to turn 35 years old in late March, many expedcted Antonio to hang up his boots following the injury, but he has set his sights on a swift return to play.
He is working six days per week to get back to full fitness and is refusing to give up on his playing career.
Speaking to BBC Morning Live he said: “I’m 100 per cent I will be back on the pitch.
“This is what I focus on, this is why I’m in six days a week.”
With just three months having passed since the accident, Antonio has already returned to solo training, getting back to running.
But Graham Potter has not shed any light on when he may return to play.
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Antonio, though, is nonplussed, keeping his head down as he focuses on his recovery, saying this week the player was taking “baby steps.”
He continued: “Mentally, I believe [in myself] too because I never give up.
“I’m always focused, I’m always pushing myself.
“This is just another setback and this is not going to stop me.”
Jamaica manager Steve McClaren said Antonio is targeting a summer return.
He said: “The impact [of the crash] was horrendous.
“He is confident he will come back and is aiming for the summer period.
“He is a true character off the field, always bubbly and great for the squad. We miss that.
“He says the one thing he has got is motivation. When warriors have motivation, they tend to achieve their goal.”
Antonio has scored just once in 14 appearances this season, most recently appearing in West Ham‘s 3-1 loss at Leicester City in December, just four days before the accident.
He has scored five times in 21 appearances for Jamaica.
He is the Hammers’ top Premier League goalscorer (68) of all time.