Michail Antonio, 34, 'could be forced to RETIRE from football'


Michail Antonio, 34,

Published: 10:47 GMT, 9 December 2024 Michail Antonio's potential injury recovery prognosis has reportedly been revealed, after the West Ham star suffered a car crash at the weekend. The Hammers confirmed in a statement on Saturday that the 34-year-old had endured 'a lower limb fracture' after a crash involving Antonio's silver Ferrari, with the forward rushed to hospital. The shock news emerged on Saturday afternoon, with clubs and figures from across the football world rushing to pay their tributes and send well-wishes to the Jamaican international. The east London club later provided an update on the player's condition, informing that he was 'conscious and communicating and is currently under close supervision' as images surfaced of a silver Ferrari with considerable damage to the front right wing. The accident is believed to have been in the Essex area, with local police appealing for dash cam footage as officers investigate the serious collision in Epping on Coppice Row which took place shortly after 12.50pm. With West Ham later revealing the injury sustained by their striker, talkSPORT's Jim White shed light on the player's reported expected recovery period after sustaining 'serious damage to one of his legs'. 'I'm told this morning he remains in a stable condition in hospital, receiving the full support of the NHS and the West Ham medical staff,' he told talkSPORT. 'Now he has sustained serious damage to one of his legs and it's thought is going to be a long haul recovery, and it will be at least 12 months before it's known whether or not he'll play football again. 'I was told this morning Michail is a fighter. He's in a very strong physical condition because he is a top class footballer and that may help him and come as a bit of an advantage when it comes to his recovery.' It comes after a report from The Guardian had claimed that the player could be looking at 'at least a year' in rehabilitation before any return to action. Furthermore the report states that there are fears over whether the player will be forced to 'retire from football' as a result of his injuries. As reported by The Sun, Antonio's first words following the crash were: 'Where am I? What's going on? What car am I in?.' Samuel Woods was driving home after walking his dog in Epping Forest and saw the car on the roadside.