REGGAE Boyz striker Michail Antonio reveals he’s “in a good place” three months after his horrific car crash, writes Vlad Andrejevic.
In his first interview since the fateful day in December last year, the 34-year-old gave explicit details of the crash and revealed he was ‘close to dying’ but has been given ‘another chance in life’ on BBC One’s Morning Live show.
“It’s crazy because I don’t remember much at all’ said Antonio of the crash itself. It’s weird, because the whole way through this, I have been told that I was awake and was speaking to everybody.”
Antonio already had reservations about the Ferrari, claiming that “the back of the car kept swinging out on me, so I didn’t feel safe in the car” and that he was contemplating returning it.
Michail Antonio makes emotional return
Nonetheless, he decided to take it to training and set out in the “wet, windy and horrific” conditions brought on by Storm Darragh.
‘All I know is that I hit a tree. I don’t know how I hit a tree. The police came and when they found me, I was in between the two seats.” he recalled. “They said it looked like I was trying to climb out of the window, but because my leg was so badly broken the pain probably stopped me from being able to get out.”
He was driven to hospital where he found out he had ‘shattered my femur bone in four different places.
“I had one single keyhole surgery. They put a pole in my thigh with four bolts, so screws and bolts to knit it back together. My first surgeon said he didn’t want me to put any weight on my leg for three months, which is around about now, and you can see that I am walking.”
His physical recovery has been nothing short of miraculous, with his body healing way ahead of schedule, but he has also had to deal with the mental ramifications and advocated for the positive effects that therapy has had.
‘”Since the crash, I’ve been more emotional than I have ever been in my life, but I feel like it’s better. Therapy is one of the best things that’s happened to me in my life.”
He spoke about the impact the crash had on his family and the fears he had for his kids. “The most difficult part is that I almost wasn’t there for my children.
“During this, we kept it away from the kids. My eldest saw it, and he struggled with it. He’s 13, and obviously people were showing photos of the car.
“So he came down and saw me in the hospital. But the younger ones, they never really knew how bad the situation was. We kind of avoided letting them get on the internet.”
Three weeks ago, Antonio went to see the remains of his car for the first time.
“It gave me a weird feeling in my stomach. It just made me realise how close I was to dying. I had seen the pictures but it was 10 times worse in person. The car was an absolute mess. It was difficult for me”’
Nonetheless, Antonio remains determined and positive that he will return to what he loves most in due course.
“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,” he said.
“It’s 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.
“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.”
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