Michail Antonio says he had to “swallow his ego” after his near‑fatal car crash as he prepares to make his first club appearance in 15 months.
The 35-year-old striker, who has joined Qatari side Al‑Sailiya, says owners of English clubs were wary of signing him following his accident in December 2024, which left him with multiple leg fractures.
He returned to competitive action with the Jamaica national team with three substitute appearances in June – his only football since the crash.
But Antonio told BBC Sport he “feels like a schoolboy again” as he looks to prove his fitness during a two‑month spell in the Qatar Stars League, with Al-Sailiya facing Al-Arabi on Saturday.
Antonio says he still has “so much love” for West Ham, for whom he played 323 games and became their all‑time Premier League top scorer with 68 goals, but was disappointed he did not get the chance of even a final substitute appearance in a home friendly.
He says he ultimately was not wanted by then‑manager Graham Potter and describes his exit in August as “a hard pill to take”.
“I’ve still got the qualities I had in the Premier League for the past 10 years,” said Antonio. “It shows, because every single manager was putting a contract in front of me once I trained with them.
“But there were managers and clubs who refused to look at me because of what happened – the accident, the injury. Some owners went against it. In football, the manager can want you, but it’s the owner’s money.
“My agent kept calling clubs, and the same thing happened – clubs wanted me to train first. With the ego I had, I said ‘I’m not coming to train. You’ve seen me play with Jamaica, you’ve seen my past 10 years. I shouldn’t have to train to get a contract.’ Clubs said ‘iIf you don’t train, we won’t sign you’.
“After staying at West Ham, training with the under-21s and going away with Jamaica again, my agent said ‘you’re going to have to train, prove your fitness.’
“I had to swallow my ego – that’s how I ended up at Brentford. I trained with them for two weeks.”
