Michail Antonio has revealed his haunting final memory before his horror crash back in December 2024.
The 34-year-old was airlifted to hospital with a broken leg after being cut from the wreckage of his £260,000 grey Ferrari by fire crews in Essex.
It came after Antonio was trapped for more than 45 minutes and feared for his life after colliding with a tree on his way home from a training session in Epping Forest.
The West Ham star remembers the weather ‘was windy, wet and horrific’ as Met Office issued warnings due to Storm Darragh.
‘The police came and when they found me I was in between the two seats. I wasn’t actually in the driver’s seat,’ said Antonio in an interview with BBC One on Monday.
‘They said it looked like I was trying to climb out of the window, but because my leg was so badly broken the pain probably stopped me from being able to get out.
Michail Antonio has released the first photo from after his horror car crash last year as he revealed the hauting memory before the accident
The 34-year-old broke his leg last December when his grey Ferrari collided with a tree and was left fearing for his life
Antonio has disclosed that he does not remember speaking to emergency services while being airlifted to the hospital
The forward was urgently taken to the hospital and released 24 days after the accident.
When quizzed whether he remembers anything about the crash, Antonio said ‘nothing’.
He continued: ‘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.’
But the West Ham forward has revealed he had doubts about taking his Ferrari out for a trip in a highly risky weather.
‘The back of the car kept swinging out on me, so I didn’t feel safe, he added. ‘I had had it for three weeks and I was already thinking about giving it back.
‘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 is understood that Antonio continues his recovery but will not be able to play again this season.
Antonio continues his recovery after the accident but is not expected to step on a football pitch this season
However, Jamaica head coach Steve McClaren said ‘warrior’ Antonio is targeting an early return to international duty in September for World Cup qualifiers
The forward is the club’s all-time record Premier League goal scorer and joined in 2015
Sources close to the player said he was lucky to be alive after the accident, considering the damaged state of his Ferrari.
Antonio was forced to spend the festive period under medical supervision due to his severe injury. Initially it was thought that the recovery will take up to 12 months, but previous reports stated that the forward is set to return to individual training sessions next month.
‘It gave me a weird feeling in my stomach,’ he added. ‘It just made me realise how close I was to dying. I had seen the pictures but it was 10 times worse in person. The car was an absolute mess. It was difficult for me.
‘Since the crash, I’ve been more emotional than I have ever been in my life, but I feel like it’s better. Therapy is one of the best things that’s happened to me in my life.
When quizzed whether he will return to the pitch in no time, Antonio confidently said ‘yes, 100 per cent’.
However, he is out of contract in the summer of 2025 and a decision over his future at the London Stadium has not been made.
The Hammers striker hopes to make a splash for Jamaica later this year after national team coach Steve McClaren revealed he is aiming to feature in their World Cup qualifiers in September.
It came after Antonio completed a recovery programme in February.
‘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.
‘I was one of the quickest at West Ham. So my body wasn’t the body of a 34-year-old before I had the accident anyway. I can still be sharp and still do the business.
