LISTEN NOW to It's All Kicking Off!: Why can't Chelsea win the league? They made seven changes and still scored five. Do you think Liverpool could do that?
By SHEKHAR BHATIA and MATT STRUDWICK and KITTY LAWTON and MILO POPE
Published: 09:51 EST, 8 December 2024 | Updated: 09:52 EST, 8 December 2024
West Ham players are 'praying' for teammate Michail Antonio as they send him 'messages of support' after his horror crash while on his way home from training.
The West Ham star, 34, was reportedly left with a broken leg as firefighters fought for 45 minutes to free the father-of-four from his £260,000 Ferrari after the brutal accident in Theydon Bois, Essex.
After being airlifted to hospital, the star was said to be in a 'serious condition', with his ex-wife Debbie apparently rushing to his bedside.
The Hammers are expected to give an update on his injuries today but teammates and staff are already putting together heartfelt tributes and get well messages ahead of tomorrow night's Premier League clash against Wolves.
A West Ham source told MailOnline the club's main concern was for Antonio's 'quick recovery' as they said: 'His teammates are praying for him. They have a WhatsApp group where they've been exchanging messages of support.'
A witness claimed the dramatic ordeal was caused by extreme weather conditions brought about by Storm Darragh, which has wrecked havoc across the country.
'It was awful weather, rain, wind and very slippery on the road. It didn't look like another car was involved. It looked like it had spun out of control,' the witness told The Sun.
'I only found out later who he was. I hope he's OK.'
He was driving home from training to his Essex mansion.
West Ham players are 'praying' for teammate Michail Antonio as they send him 'messages of support' after his horror crash (Antonio (right) pictured celebrating with Jarrod Bowen during the Hammers' clash with Ipswich on October 5, 2024)
Photos emerged of a smashed Ferrari, reportedly showing the aftermath of the crash
West Ham confirmed yesterday that striker Antonio (pictured) was involved in a car accident
A club source said 'there is going to be a lot of stuff about Antonio before tomorrow night's game with Wolverhampton Wanderers'.
'The announcements will include tributes and get well messages from his teammates and the staff,' they said.
'Antonio is a solid guy. He always stops to chat to the staff on match days and is a real family man.
'He loves to have a laugh, but he's never malicious with his humour. And he can take it as well, particularly about his fashion sense.
'The club hope to find out this afternoon the extent of his injuries, but as I said the main thing is for him to recover in peace as best he can.'
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service revealed that crews were called at 1.02pm on Saturday after Antonio smashed into a tree at around 12.50pm.
Previously, it was revealed that the footballer may have suffered injuries to both legs and damaged a femur as he was examined by doctors in a central London Hospital.
Photos taken at the scene of the crash show extensive damage to the right hand side of the grey Ferrari, which reportedly had grey smoke pouring from it.
Shortly after the images began to circulate on social media, West Ham confirmed the Jamaican international had been involved in a crash.
The club later said that the the player is 'conscious and communicating' after being taken to hospital.
A full statement from the club reads: 'West Ham United can confirm that Michail Antonio is in a stable condition following a road traffic accident this afternoon in the Essex area.
'Michail is conscious and communicating and is currently under close supervision at a central London hospital.
Another image appears to show the Premier League star's smashed up vehicle
Antonio was a key member of the West Ham side to win the 2022 Europa Conference League
'At this difficult time, we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of Michail and his family.
'The Club will make no further comment this evening, but will issue a further update in due course.'
Essex Police is now appealing for dash cam footage as officers investigate the serious collision in Epping on Coppice Row which took place shortly after 12.50pm.
It is believed to be a single vehicle collision and the Ferrari has since been recovered and is no longer on the scene.
Essex Police said that an investigation into the crash will now be carried out by the Roads Policing unit.
The Hammers were not in action on Saturday and host Wolves on Monday evening.
The Premier League player had previously been involved in a car crash on Christmas Day back in 2019.
The footballer had crashed his £210,000 Lamborghini Huracan into a bin shed of a family home in Balham, south London while dressed as a snowman after losing control of his car.
Antonio previously opened up about the financial consequences of the crash.
'I was struggling to get insurance this year,' he said three years ago. 'No-one wanted to insure me!
On Christmas Day 2019, Michail Antonio crashed his car into the garden of a house in London
Antonio is seen climbing out of his £210,000 Lamborghini after crashing into a front garden
Antonio was dressed as a snowman following club training in the morning of that day
'I had to go to a specialist insurance company, so my insurance this year is a madness! I've got a G63 now. They were offering me £10,000 for an [Audi] A3 to insure, or get a G63 and pay double the price but get to drive a G63 instead of an A3.
'I'd rather pay £20,000 and drive a G63 rather than pay £10,000 and drive an A3.
'It was Christmas Day. Still to this day it has hurt me. I miss that car. Basically, I was driving but it was a slippery road.
'In the car it corners nicely and holds the road, so I was going 30-35mph on a 30mph road. As it holds corners I think I don't need to brake, I'm just going to go round the corner like I do all the time.
'But as I go round the corner, it skids. So as it skids, I s*** myself and I slam on the brakes - the worst thing you could do on ice as you just speed up when you're meant to just go with it kind of thing.
'So I slam on the brakes, skid and go up on the curb - but I don't really remember it, everything just happened so fast.
'Then smoke comes out of the front of the car, and the engine is in the back so I'm thinking 'the car is gonna blow up!', even though it's just the airbags.
'So I'm having to jump out of the passenger side of the tiny car. It's a madness.
'And the thing is, I was in a snowman costume as well. I don't get why I didn't take it off in there, sort it out.'
The forward began representing Jamaica at international level back in 2021
Antonio has been an ever present in West Ham's Premier League team so far this season.
The 34-year-old has made 15 appearances in all competitions for West Ham during the campaign, scoring once.
Antonio is West Ham's all-time Premier League top goal scorer having netted 68 times in the top flight.
The forward had joined the club in 2015 from Nottingham Forest and was part of the side to win the UEFA Conference League in 2017.
He was also named as the club's Player of the Year in 2017.
Antonio, a father of four, earlier this year revealed he was undergoing therapy after falling out of love with football to the extent that he had once hoped that he would be sidelined with injury.
The 34-year-old increasingly felt a strain on his mental health prompted by his divorce from ex-wife.
'I was going through my divorce and stuff, and I honestly couldn't get my head around it,' Antonio shared on
'After we won, the whole team went out, the gaffer (David Moyes) went out, got steaming, a couple of boys didn't sleep for two days, just got drunk for two days.
Antonio is West Ham's all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League having netted 68 times
Antonio joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest (pictured centre, in 2014) nine years ago
'I was asleep on the coach and went back to the hotel. I was just mentally drained because of everything that was going on outside of my football and then I went back to the hotel and went to sleep while everyone was out partying.'
'It wasn't until probably December where I was in a better place where I was like 'Oh my God, I've won a European championship'.'
The forward noted during one game in December 2022 that he could not stop thinking 'I'm not enjoying football.'
'During the game, I was like, ''I'm really not enjoying this''. I just felt quite negative. I'm a very positive person myself.
'I didn't score from December until I think it was March, April time. And I just felt run-down. And then I went away with Jamaica because I was enjoying football with Jamaica for some strange reason. But I actually prayed for an injury.
'I was like, ''I just want to get injured, I want some time off''.
'So, it's all those things that spiral through your mind. You're thinking, ''Is this the end for me? Is this my football career over?''
'I started therapy because I was really struggling. And how I grew up, it was never a thing. I thought therapy was for crazy people. But therapy changed my life. At first it was awkward, I'm not going to lie. You're sat in the room, someone was there and goes, ''How are you?''
'And your natural response is ''Fine''. So, he's like, ''So why are you here?'' I was like, ''To be honest, like, football, I'm struggling with football, I split up with my missus''.'