'They told me 12 months, I was back in five': Michail Antonio opens up on horror car crash and Diogo Jota perspective

Michael Antonio is back on the pitch after several months sidelined with a broken leg, sustained during a car crash on his way back from training last year.

The 35-year-old returned to driving as early as March following the incident and made a comeback to professional football this summer with Jamaica at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, months ahead of schedule.

Recently released by West Ham upon the expiry of his contract, Antonio says he is 'hungrier than ever' to prove himself on the pitch all over again.

Michail Antonio: 'I almost lost my life'

Currently a free agent, Antonio spoke to FourFourTwo in line with punditry duties at the FA Community Shield between Liverpool and Crystal Palace. He says he doesn't remember the crash, which has made getting back into the driver's seat no issue.

"I was a person that kept on, always pushing [things] to a side, pushing to a side, [thinking] 'I'll deal with it later'. I'm now more of a go-getter, it made me feel like anything could happen. I was literally on my way home from training and almost lost my life," the former Nottingham Forest man said.

"The first thing the doctor said to me is that, obviously, 'You've broken your leg and but it's something that you could heal over time, and you will be playing football again'. So, it wasn't something that I had to worry about whether I could play again.

"It's down to you and the hard work that you put into it, and I'm a person that's always been a hard worker. So I managed to do it in half the time that a normal person would.

"They told me 12 months, I was back in training after five-and-a-half months," the ex-Hammer added.

Antonio crashed his Ferrari in Epping on December 7, 2024, suffering season-ending injuries, however, they were fortunately not deemed life-threatening. A day later, the striker underwent surgery in central London to repair a fractured right leg.

Earlier this summer, Liverpool forward Diogo Jota was involved in a fatal road traffic incident during his summer break. He and brother Andre Silva were killed, news which rocked the footballing world.

"It shocked me to my core, to be fair," Antonio said. "I was literally in the gym doing some strength work on my leg at the time with one of my personal physios. And he told me, he's like, 'Have you seen this?'.

A silent tribute was held before Sunday afternoon's game between Liverpool and Palace, in honour of Jota and Silva, while Reds fans brought flags and wore shirts bearing the Portuguese player's squad number in remembrance.

"It distracted me. I couldn't really work out. I kind of just called it a day and went home. It shocked me to my core, because it could easily have been me," Antonio added.

The former Hammers striker spent 10 years at the London Stadium but departed recently and is on the lookout for a new club, awaiting the right opportunity for him and his family at this late stage of his playing career.

"Because I've worked so hard on my right leg, my right leg stronger than my left. I now need to actually catch my left leg up.

"I'm back to normal. I'm ready to go, and now I have something to prove again - and that's what made me even hungrier."

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