"I've still got the qualities I had in the Premier League for the past 10 years. 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."
"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 'if 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.'"
Michail Antonio, 35, has joined Qatari club Al-Sailiya after struggling to secure an English club following a near-fatal car crash in December 2024 that caused multiple leg fractures. English club owners were reluctant to sign him due to injury concerns, despite managers showing interest. Antonio made his competitive return with Jamaica's national team in June with three substitute appearances. He expressed disappointment at not receiving a final appearance for West Ham, where he scored 68 Premier League goals across 323 games. Antonio ultimately accepted that he needed to train with clubs to prove his fitness, swallowing his ego after initially refusing trial periods. He maintains confidence in his abilities and views the two-month Qatar stint as an opportunity to demonstrate his fitness.
Read at www.bbc.com
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