West Ham’s interest in the striker could spell the end for a club legend.
As much as he can be extremely frustrating to watch, it’s impossible not to love Michail Antonio. The relentless worker that he is coupled with a unique skill set containing unmatched strength and pace made him an unbelievable player in his prime. In this weekend’s game against Brentford, he became the first West Ham player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements after providing the assist to Tomas Soucek’s equaliser, breaking yet another record.
Unfortunately, at 34-years-old, there’s no hiding the fact that Antonio isn’t the player he once was. He’s lost a lot of the power and pace that once made him so deadly, and with there being plenty of reports going round that the Hammers want to sign another striker, West Ham Zone speculates whether he will even see the end of his contract next Summer.
While it’s sad to admit, every player reaches a point where they’re no longer able to compete at the top. During his near decade at the club, the Jamaican has become the club’s all-time record goal scorer in the Premier League era, scored countless iconic goals, provided the world with some hilarious celebrations, played a vital role in his club their first bit of silverware in over 40 years, and he became one of our own.
People sometimes debate on what makes a club legend, some say its longevity, some say it’s being a top player for the club, some say it’s the achievements you leave with – Antonio has got it all. There’s absolutely no doubt that he will leave a legend in East London, let’s just hope whenever he does leave he gets the send off he truly deserves.
Leave a Reply