London, March 17 Michail Antonio, the West Ham United striker, whose serious car accident sent shockwaves through English football reflected on his accident after having visited the remains of his car at the scrapyard.
Antonio had undergone surgery on a lower limb fracture following the accident on December 7 in Epping, Essex, and was taken to a central London hospital. Photos of the car had flooded online, raising concern to Antonio’s state. The 34-year-old also stated he has no recollection of how he crashed the car.
Following a swift response by the National Health Services, Antonio, who was stuck in the car, was released from the vehicle and rushed to the hospital.
“It's weird, because the whole way through this, I have been told that I was awake and was speaking to everybody - the police, the people, and the person who found me.
"My leg was completely shattered and they got me out and put a splint on it by the side of the car. Everyone believed I got an air ambulance out, but the helicopter couldn't get off the ground because of the storm, so I was driven to the hospital."
"It gave me a weird feeling in my stomach. It just made me realise how close I was to dying. I had seen the pictures but it was 10 times worse in person. The car was an absolute mess. It was difficult for me,” said Antonio on BBC One's Morning Live.
The striker was then discharged from the hospital after spending three weeks in the hospital following the serious car accident.
Antonio also gave a potential timeline for his leg to heal.
"I shattered my femur bone in four different places. I had one single keyhole surgery. They put a pole in my thigh with four bolts, so screws and bolts to knit it back together.
"My first surgeon said he didn't want me to put any weight on my leg for three months, which is around about now, and you can see that I am walking.
"We got a second specialist who said I needed to start putting weight on it, increasing from 10% up to 100% within three weeks. But I kept my crutches for a further two weeks. Overall, they say it will be between six to 12 months before my leg starts healing properly,” he added.
Antonio is West Ham's all-time leading scorer in the Premier League, with 68 goals in 268 league appearances and confirmed he has no intentions of retiring from the game.
"Yes, 100%. I will play again," he replied
"That's what I am focused on and why I am working six days a week. I've always been positive from this situation. It's a horrendous accident, and it's a massive injury.
"It's the biggest injury I've ever had in my career. But the fact that I'm already two to three months ahead of where I should be, I know that I'll play again, and I know that once I'm playing the game I'll get the sharpness back," he added.
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