Jamaica boss revels in Michail Antonio 'miracle' after West Ham star's first game in 7 months

Seven months after that horror car accident, West Ham United and Premier League veteran Michail Antonio finally made his ‘miracle’ return to professional football.

Rising off the bench with 85 minutes on the clock, a remarkable comeback by the experienced centre-forward lifted the mood amongst the Jamaica supporters at the end of a disappointing 1-0 defeat by Guatemala in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

This was Michail Antonio’s first appearance, either for club or country, since he suffered a broken leg in a road traffic collision which was initially thought to have brought about a premature end to a fine footballing career.

Talks between West Ham and Antonio have stalled recently over a new contract at the London Stadium. The former Nottingham Forest, Southampton and Reading forward is due to become a free-agent in a fortnight’s time.

But regardless of whether he has already made his final appearance in the claret and blue of West Ham United, Antonio’s long-awaited return to the pitch has Jamaica boss Steve McClaren hoping that this ‘miracle’ tale could yet have a ‘fairytale’ ending.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

West Ham United hero Michail Antonio makes Jamaica comeback

Former Manchester United assistant Steve McClaren included Michail Antonio in his Jamaica squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer. That was despite the 35-year-old not playing even a minute of professional football in the previous seven months.

“He trained with us two weeks ago in London. We said then it’s a miracle,” McClaren said after Jamaica kicked-off their campaign with an underwhelming defeat.

“He’s trained two days with us and he’s come on the field. From where he was after the accident to be playing, to be walking, it is a miracle.

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“We’re delighted. We need that kind of leadership as much as we possibly can so it’s good to get him minutes on the field.

“It didn’t turn into a fairytale [because] he didn’t score.”

With Jamaica needing results in their final two group-stage fixtures against Panama and Guadeloupe, it remains to be seen how much Michail Antonio is able to contribute for a Reggae Boyz outfit hoping to go one better after finishing as Gold Cup runners-up in 2015 and 2017.

Michail Antonio’s contract runs down as Graham Potter highlights ‘unique situation’

Antonio would ideally like to stay at West Ham and extend his stay at a club he joined a decade ago. Whether he gets his wish, time will tell.

Towards the end of last season, Hammers boss Graham Potter highlighted the ‘unique situation’ the club’s all-time Premier League record goalscorer finds himself in. The London Stadium outfit included Antonio among their list of summer departures recently albeit while keeping the door open for fresh terms to be agreed.

As former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan points out, West Ham face a difficult balancing act between fulfilling their duty of care and also ensuring they make a logical decision from a commercial and sporting perspective.

“There is a huge risk attached to it, isn’t there? People want to look at the human side of things but [Antonio] was at a point where, somewhere along the line, there was going to be a decision made about how valuable he is to West Ham United going forward,” Jordan explains.

“With that in mind, West Ham have got to be realistic. They are not a registered charity. I am surprised they are prepared to offer him a deal. I would have been more inclined to [keep Antonio] on a pay-and-play basis.

“Nobody wants Michail Antonio not to be well, to recover and be able to ply his trade towards the end of his playing career,” Jordan adds. “But you also have to be commercially realistic about what you can and can’t do and what you should and shouldn’t do.

“West Ham are trying to tread delicately through this.”

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