"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."
"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 'if you don't train, we won't sign you'."
"I had to swallow my ego -- that's how I ended up at Brentford. I trained with them for two weeks."
Michail Antonio, West Ham's former top Premier League scorer with 68 goals, faced significant challenges securing a new club following a serious car accident in 2024 that caused multiple leg fractures. After eight months without playing for West Ham, he was released in August. Despite maintaining his quality and receiving contract offers from managers who trained with him, some club owners rejected him due to injury concerns. Initially resistant to trial periods given his Premier League pedigree, Antonio eventually accepted the need to prove his fitness. He trained with Brentford for two weeks before suffering a calf injury. He subsequently joined Qatari club Al-Sailiya on a short-term deal, having made only three competitive appearances for Jamaica during his recovery period.
Read at ESPN.com
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