Football General Manager
- Antonio scores twice for West Ham U21
- First match since car crash last December
- Uncertainty over future with contract expired
Antonio struck twice in the opening 23 minutes in his first club match since the incident as the Hammers won 2-1 at National League side Boreham Wood. Antonio scored the opener after just four minutes when he dispossessed a defender on the edge of his own box, before heading home a second to ultimately win the game.
,
After enduring such a life-changing crash last December, Antonio is lucky to have the chance to be back on a football pitch and will have been glad to impact the game as he did. This comes after he returned with a late substitute appearance for Jamaica in the Gold Cup earlier this summer.
Each Hammers player came up to him individually to congratulate him after his opening goal, and West Ham U21 coach Mark Robson said it was a “fantastic experience” for the young players to play alongside him. Despite this, Antonio remains out of contract after his West Ham deal expired on June 30.
Whether he secures a new contract at West Ham or moves elsewhere, Antonio will hope to continue his recovery and return to first-team action soon. West Ham fans flooded the comments on the clip of his goal on X, asking for Antonio to sign – some stating that he should sign for the Hammers over fellow free agent Callum Wilson – so the supporters would clearly like to see a club legend stick around. Antonio will be glad to play football again, wherever it is.
