Injured West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has spoken of his sleepless night after being asked whether he had career-ending insurance and considering the threat of not playing again.
Antonio, who is West Ham’s record Premier League goalscorer, also spoke of how the most difficult part of surviving the near-death car crash has been realising he almost was no longer there for his partner and six children.
Antonio (pictured) was seriously injured in a car crash in December which left him “close to dying” and his leg “shattered” in several places.
He is now in the middle of an estimated six-to-12-month-long recovery following surgery to repair the limb.
In his first interview since the crash with BBC Morning Live, Antonio was asked if it ever crossed his mind that he would not play again?
“The crazy thing is, two weeks ago I was talking to my physio and he went: ‘Do you have career ending insurance?’” Antonio said.
“And that was the only time I went to myself: ‘Wait, why are you asking me that? Why are you asking me that question?”
“He said: ‘I’m just asking because I have to cover all bases.’
“And that night I didn’t sleep a wink. That night I was up all-night thinking, is he trying to tell me something here?
“He was like: ‘You’re doing well, I just need to ask you these questions’.”
Almost not being there was ‘most difficult part’
Antonio also explained how he has coped with realising how close he came to dying in the crash and leaving his partner and six children.
The 34-year-old explained that aside from the eldest child, they tried to keep details of the accident away from the younger children. But the impact was a more personal one.
“It was more for me, the aspect of, I almost wasn’t there for them, and that was the most difficult part,” he said.
When asked if being that close to death and surviving was something he thought about Antonio agreed it had changed him.
“Now it’s just made me happy and positive in life because obviously I’ve got another chance at life,” he added.
