We get it, Michail, you were “wronged” by West Ham after crashing your car and breaking your leg.
I’m actually quite tired of writing articles criticising the hyper-inflated ego of the former Hammers striker, but he really just can’t let this go.
Antonio was recently interviewed by FourFourTwo, where he once again spoke about his complicated exit from West Ham. In the interview, the Jamaican international discussed an offer he was made by Karren Brady before his departure.
“Karren Brady told me she’d offer £5K a week with the under-21s. I said, ‘How can you offer that when the under-21s are on more than that and I’ve been at this club for 10 years?’ Her response was, ‘Well, they haven’t been in a car crash and shattered their leg.’ I was like, ‘Oof, OK…’ I didn’t sign the contract.”
It really astounds me that Antonio still has this chip on his shoulder. Like I’ve said before, I understand his shock and frustration at the decision, and I never want to find myself in a position to defend Karren Brady, but she was right.
I can appreciate his admittedly self-inflicted career crisis, but Antonio’s insistence on calling out a regime that aren’t even at West Ham any more a full twelve months after his departure has not made me feel sympathy for him.
I’ve read his book, Humans Not Robots, which came out a few weeks ago and addresses the situation in detail. For me, that’s where it belongs, not on a million podcasts.
The book is interesting, and I would recommend it, especially if you are a West Ham fan who watched Antonio for years, like I did. It says a lot about the behind-the-scenes of the club over the last decade – perhaps too much… It turns out he really likes calling people out.
In fairness to Antonio, when he discusses the crash and his exit from London Stadium, it’s not all “me, me, me”. As in his book, he has discussed the importance of his family in that situation. He speaks about how lucky he is to be alive. He’s not completely oblivious.
But when it comes to West Ham, he simply refuses to take responsibility. He never says, “I messed up. It was my fault. I made a huge mistake, and there were just consequences.”
Antonio has given me loads of great memories as a West Ham fan – his goal at the new Spurs stadium, the time he became our all-time Premier League goalscorer, and his vital UEFA Conference League goals. But I frankly never want him to speak about the club ever again.
It’s just all so bitter. He gave a lot to West Ham, but they gave a lot to him too. It’s time to hang up the boots for good and retire this story. Because, judging from the backlash to his latest comments, he’s running out of support and sympathy.