West Ham star Michail Antonio was involved in a horror car crash in December last year and has given a behind-the-scenes look at his gruelling recovery which involved learning how to walk again
Michail Antonio
Antonio had to learn to walk again(Image: michailantonio/Instagram)
Michail Antonio has shared a video of his recovery from his horror car crash after vowing to return to football. The West Ham star was involved in an awful collision in December last year in Essex.
His Ferrari was at the heart of a single-vehicle collision, leaving him with a broken leg. Antonio immediately underwent surgery for his shocking injury but was discharged from hospital three weeks later.
Antonio, 35, has now taken to Instagram to give supporters a look at his gruelling recovery, alongside the caption: "Faith will overcome all challenges". The video which appeared on his official social media began with the wreckage of Antonio's car, while it also showed him in hospital immediately after the incident.
Antonio then shared videos of him walking with a frame alongside doctors, as well as a clip of West Ham teammates visiting him in hospital. Other videos then show him at the Hammers' training ground on crutches, with the striker eventually gaining strength to walk unaided.
The veteran is then pictured hard at work in West Ham's gym. The Jamaican international's emotional return to the London Stadium is also documented. The video then ends with Antonio training with a ball, as well as him being given a round of applause by his West Ham team-mates upon his return to team sessions.
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A number of his colleagues have replied to the update. Tomas Soucek replied with three heart emojis, while Vladimir Coufal wrote: "Respect brother". Ex-West Ham captain and current Arsenal star Declan Rice also replied as he wrote: "Monster."
Antonio's latest update comes after he admitted he was close to being killed in the smash. "The most difficult part is that I almost wasn't there for my children," Antonio told the BBC's Morning Live. "It's just made me happy, positive about life, because I've got another chance at life.
"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."
Antonio
Antonio shared a video of his wrecked car(Image: michailantonio/Instagram)
Michail Antonio
Antonio had to learn to walk again(Image: michailantonio/Instagram)
He added: "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."
Despite that, Antonio vowed to be back on the pitch. His West Ham contract comes to an end this summer. "Yes, 100 per cent. I will play again," 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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