In an interview with BBC One’s Morning Live, West Ham striker Michail Antonio discussed his horrifying car accident in December, how he is progressing in his recovery, and his hopes of returning to the pitch.

West Ham’s all time Premier League top goal scorer crashed his car into a tree back in December during Storm Darragh. Images of the wreckage quickly circulated on social media, leaving Hammers fans fearing the worst and praying for a positive update.

Antonio suffered a broken leg and spent over three weeks in hospital. Discussing the nature of his injury, Antonio said to the clubs Official Website: “I shattered my femur bone in four different places. They’ve had to put the bone back together. They say between six to 12 months before it starts healing properly.”

The Jamaica international admitted having no recollection of the accident. Three weeks ago, the West Ham striker visited what was left of his car in person. “It just made me realise how close I was to dying” said Antonio, adding: “I had seen the pictures but it was 10 times worse in person.”.

Seeing the wreckage in person was understandably incredibly emotional, with Antonio describing how it was “difficult to see” and left him with “a weird feeling in my stomach”.

The 34 year old returned to the London Stadium recently for West Ham’s game against Newcastle. Coming out on to the pitch, he was met with a wonderful reception and would have been delighted to see the tifo unfurled in his honour as the two sides came out the tunnel shortly before kick off.

Since being discharged from hospital, Antonio has been following a rehabilitation programme, which included a stint training in Dubai as he continues working to return to full fitness. He has made significant progress in his recovery so far and the 34 year old is fully focused and determined to make his return to football.

Commenting on his recovery and progress so far, Antonio 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.”

It has been a crazy few months for Mick, as many Hammers fans refer to the striker. Prior to any official update being released, supporters’ hearts dropped upon seeing the initial images shared on social media. Many would have been left questioning whether he had survived or was going to pull through.

Until any information was released regarding Antonio’s recovery, it appeared as though his career hung in the balance. Despite being in excellent physical condition, the seriousness of the car accident and a broken leg at 34 years old led many supporters to fear, at least initially, that this was could be the end of his career. If it were to have been, Hammers fans would have worried that he might be robbed of the opportunity to return to the pitch or bid farewell to the club he has called home for a decade.

To be three months on and hear that Antonio is months ahead of his recovery schedule is nothing short of remarkable. It is testament to his resilience and mental strength that despite going through something so traumatic, the Jamaica international is working hard and is determined to return to action.

Although there is still no exact date, it looks as though supporters may well get to see Antonio back on the pitch wearing Claret and Blue. These few months without him will have made many realise how important the 34 year old has been to the Club’s success in recent years.

Antonio’s return to football would be celebrated by the wider football family. Seeing the striker scoring for the club he has given a decade of service to would be a beautiful end to what has been a challenging chapter in his career.