Michail Antonio leaves West Ham as a free agent eight months after car crash that nearly claimed his life - but Premier League side offer alternative role at the club

Daily Mail​

14 hours ago

Michael Antonio has officially left West Ham United, eight months to the day since a horror car crash that almost cost him his life.
Antonio escaped the incident with a badly broken leg and had his femur bone put back together after it was shattered in four places.
He had to be cut from the wreckage of his £260,000 grey Ferrari by fire crews in Essex and airlifted to hospital.
After colliding with a tree on his way home from training in Epping Forest, the striker was trapped for more than 45 minutes and feared for his life. Antonio underwent surgery for a broken leg the following day, but has worked hard on a miraculous recovery which has seen him return to training just four months on from the accident.
In June, meanwhile, the 35-year-old took to Instagram to share a clip of his journey, titling the video with the caption 'Faith will overcome all challenges'.
Though he made his comeback for West Ham and Jamaica, The Hammers have now confirmed that he has departed as a free agent after the two parties found themselves unable to come to terms on a new deal.
'Michail will always be a much-loved and respected member of the West Ham United family,' the club said. 'As has been the case since December, the Club will continue to support and assist him in his ongoing rehabilitation, offering him access to training, facilities and medical care if needed.
'Dialogue continues over his future involvement with the Club in an alternative capacity - including one that would enable others to benefit from his experience and leadership qualities - and he will forever hold a special place in our 130-year history.
'Everyone at West Ham United would like to sincerely thank Michail for his outstanding, dedicated service in a Claret and Blue shirt over the last ten years. Further recognition of his magnificent contribution will appear across Club channels in the coming days and weeks.'
There had been discussions over terms, with it reported that Antonio had rejected an offer on a reduced wage. He earnt £90,000-a-week in his latest deal.
'He's looking at what offers he gets,' a senior Hammers source recently told Mail Sport.
West Ham announced earlier this month they will continue to support Antonio throughout his comeback, even though he was officially listed as a free agent in the club's retained list.
'Given Michail Antonio's unique situation, following his serious road traffic accident in December 2024, there will be no formal decision and announcement on his future until such time that it is considered right and appropriate,' the statement read.
'However, as his current contract is also due to expire on 30 June, for the purposes of the Premier League Retained List procedure at the end of the 2024/25 season, Michail will be listed as a free transfer.
'As a long-serving, highly-respected player, and a much-loved member of the West Ham family, the club's absolute priority at this time is to support Michail personally in his journey to resume playing at the highest level.'
In a May interview with French outlet L'Equipe, Antonio said: 'The question is whether the club wants to extend my contract. That's my priority, but I'm waiting.
'Until then, all I can do is focus on my recovery so that, wherever I am next year, I can deliver.'
In total, Antonio, played 323 times for West Ham in 10 years, scoring 83 goals, becoming the club's all-time Premier League leading scorer and being part of the Conference League winning team in 2023.