West Ham striker Michail Antonio has admitted he’s been handed “another chance at life” after he was close to dying after crashing his Ferrari in December
Michail Antonio has revealed how he cheated death in the car accident which left his football career hanging in the balance. The West Ham striker was left with serious injuries after his Ferrari struck a tree in Epping Forest back in December 2024.
The incident left striker in hospital for more than three weeks with a broken leg – and facing a gruelling journey back to fitness. Antonio had an operation which saw a metal rod inserted into his thigh. But Antonio admits he is just glad to still be alive.
Speaking to the BBC for the first time since the accident, Antonio told the BBC: “My leg was completely shattered and they got me out and put a splint on it by the side of the car.
“Everyone believed I got an air ambulance out, but the helicopter couldn’t get off the ground because of the storm, so I was driven to the hospital.
“It just made me realise how close I was to dying. I had seen the pictures (of his crumpled car), but it was 10 times worse in person. The car was an absolute mess. It was difficult for me.
“The most difficult part is that I almost wasn’t there for my children. It’s just made me happy, positive about life, because I’ve got another chance at life.”
Antonio has now sworn off fast cars, and he admitted he now has a “Mercedes people carrier and my brother is my driver”.
Antonio, 34, still faces months of gruelling rehabilitation, but is convinced he will return to top level football again. He added: “Yes, 100 per cent I will play again.
“That’s what I am focused on and why I am working six days a week. I’ve always been positive from this situation. It’s a horrendous accident, and it’s a massive injury, the biggest injury I’ve ever had in my career.
“But the fact that I’m already two to three months ahead of where I should be, I know that I’ll play again, and I know that once I’m playing the game I’ll get the sharpness back.
“I was one of the quickest at West Ham. So my body wasn’t the body of a 34-year-old before I had the accident anyway. I can still be sharp and still do the business.
“People have always doubted me. My mental strength is something that I’ve always believed in and this is just another setback, and it is not going to stop me.”