West Ham hero Michail Antonio has admitted he is ‘sorry’ after finally saying an emotional farewell to the club, eight months on from his exit after a decade of service.
Michail Antonio left West Ham as the club’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorer last summer.
The striker had unbelievably battled back six months ahead of schedule after breaking his leg in four places in the horrific Epping Forest car crash which he admitted almost claimed his life.
West Ham did offer Antonio a short-term deal on reduced terms to extend his stay beyond 10 years, but he turned it down.
Antonio says he planned to retire at West Ham in emotional farewell
After departing the Hammers, many supporters found it strange that the big fan favourite elected not to send a farewell message or video to the club and its fans.
But after signing for Qatari outfit Al Sailya over the weekend, a ‘sorry’ Antonio has finally said an emotional West Ham farewell eight months after his exit.
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The former non-league star, who played right-back for the Hammers under Slaven Bilic before going on to become the club’s leading scorer as a striker under David Moyes, has sent a video message to West Ham fans thanking them for their love and support over the years.
Antonio admits he wanted to retire at West Ham but ‘life is life’ and ‘it just didn’t manage to work out that way’.
The Jamaica forward thanked everyone at West Ham for making his time at the club special.
But he reserved special mention for the supporters, signing off with his famous ‘Carlton Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ dance celebration and by telling West Ham fans ‘I love you’.
“Hello, Hammers fans and everybody else who’s going to see this,” Antonio says.
“Ten years as a Hammer was unbelievable for me. I managed to achieve so much that I would never have thought and other people probably wouldn’t have thought that I was going to achieve.
‘Sorry’ Antonio reserves special mention for West Ham fans
“Being a European champion, becoming West Ham’s all-time goalscorer in the Premier League, joint top with the most headed goals in the calendar year.
“And none of this would have been achievable without my teammates, the coaches, or the staff at West Ham.
“But my biggest thank you is to the West Ham fans that you’ve supported me over the last 10 years. I just want to say thank you to you guys. And I wish that the time wasn’t over, to be honest, but it just didn’t manage to work that way.
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“My plan was probably to retire at West Ham, but hey, life is life and things happen in life.
“But there’s only one way for Antonio to sign out. And it’s got to be a celebration. I was thinking about doing a Homer Simpson, but there’s not enough room in here. So I actually can’t do that. But it’s going to have to be the Carlton.
“I love you guys and thank you for the support. Thank you and sorry I couldn’t say goodbye on the pitch.”
The emotional video, which you can watch in full below, then cuts to highlights from Antonio’s West Ham career and we challenge any Hammers fan to hold back the tears while watching.
Once a Hammer, always a Hammer.
Antonio, Antonio, Antonioooooooo!
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