On December 7, a horrific accident happened and almost ended the life of West Ham forward Michail Antonio when asked what he remembers. He replied “Nothing “in an inclusive interview with BBC sport.
Antonio crashed into a tree, the police came and when they found him, he was in between seats. He tried climbing out the window, but he was not able to since his leg was badly injured. They eventually managed to get him out of the car and rushed him to the hospital.
The 34-year-old told BBC Sport: “It’s weird, because the whole way through this, I have been told that I was awake and was speaking to everybody – the police, the people, and the person who found me. My leg was completely shattered and they got me out and put a splint on it by the side of the car.
“Everyone believed I got an air ambulance out, but the helicopter couldn’t get off the ground because of the storm, so I was driven to the hospital.” It was a brutal journey to recovery as he spent more than three weeks in hospital with a broken leg tied down to a bed.
Three weeks ago, Antonio went to the scrap yard to see the remains of his Ferrari what hit him was that he realised he almost lost his life. He saw photos of his accident on social media during the time the news was circulating, and it was not that bad in photos than seeing the car in person.
“It gave me a weird feeling in my stomach. It just made me realise how close I was to dying. I had seen the photos, but it was 10 times worse in person. The car was an absolute mess. It was difficult for me,” said Antonio.
The forward plans to get back on the field and play again as he has fully recovered. He added he almost had doubts about playing again when his physiotherapist asked him if he had a backup plan or career-ending insurance. After that day he had a rethink about life and made sure he would give in and work hard to recovery.
