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For those who weren’t too busy necking back their pre-match pints elsewhere, Hammers fans were able to give Antonio a show of support when he made a brief appearance on the touchline before kick-off against Newcastle last week.
And he followed that up by giving exclusive interviews to both the West Ham website and the BBC as he continues his journey on the long road to recovery after suffering a bad leg fracture.
He told whufc.com, “I’m feeling good. I’m lucky to be alive at the end of the day, so I’m very positive when it comes to life now, because I’ve got a second chance at it. I’m never going to let anything drag me down and right now I’m happy.
“The main reflections I have are of how far I’ve come in a short space of time. Things are improving all the time.
“The support I’ve had has been amazing from day one. Everyone at the club has been incredible – they were the ones who called my family to tell them what was going on and they were the ones who turned up to the hospital straight after the crash.
“[West Ham vice-chair] Karren Brady came to the hospital to see me, as did the players and [former head coach] Julen Lopetegui and his staff.
“I’ve had fans sending me gift packages and so many messages from supporters, friends and family, so it’s all been a bit overwhelming. It’s been a really emotional time, just from the amount of love I’ve had.”
Michail Antonio has a long road ahead of him as he recovers from injury following his serious accident in December but he has discovered much about the true heart of the Hammers…
They say that every cloud has a silver lining. And Michail Antonio probably knows that more than anybody at the moment.
The images of the West Ham striker’s wrecked Ferrari are all the evidence you need to know how close he came to potentially losing his life when involved in a serious accident in December.
But sometimes it takes an experience of adversity to develop a greater wisdom and, at the very least, learn who our friends are.
That’s certainly the case for Antonio, who has discovered how precious life is in recent times as well as being warmly embraced by the West Ham family in the past few months.
As he posted on his Instagram account around Christmas time, “Every year around this time, I’m asked what I’m grateful for and every year I’ve struggled to find the right words. But this year, I know exactly what I’m grateful for – being alive.
“I want to take a moment to acknowledge something I’ve come to realise. I’ve spent so many years taking life for granted.
“What I’ve been through recently has opened my eyes. Life is fragile and every single moment matters.”
