West Ham United player Michail Antonio is reported to be in stable condition following a road traffic accident, according to the Premier League club.
The 34-year-old forward is conscious after being taken to a London hospital following the incident in Epping, Essex, on Saturday afternoon. This update comes after unverified images of a severely damaged Ferrari circulated online.
A club statement noted: “West Ham United can confirm that Michail Antonio is in a stable condition following a road traffic accident this afternoon in the Essex area. Michail is conscious, communicating, and currently under close supervision at a central London hospital. We kindly ask everyone to respect Michail and his family’s privacy during this difficult time. The club will not make any further comments tonight but will provide another update soon.”
This was West Ham’s second statement regarding the incident, following an earlier confirmation of the accident. Essex Fire Service reported that firefighters attended the scene and helped release a man trapped in his vehicle.
A fire service statement read: “Crews were called to High Road, Epping, at 1:02 PM after reports of a collision involving one car. Upon arrival, firefighters found a man trapped in his vehicle and worked to free him by 1:45 PM. He was then placed in the care of the Ambulance Service.”
Essex Police also issued a statement: “Officers investigating a serious collision in Epping are seeking witnesses and dash cam footage. We were alerted shortly after 12:50 PM on Saturday, December 7, to Coppice Row, Epping, regarding a single-vehicle collision involving a Ferrari. Emergency services responded, and the driver was taken to the hospital. The vehicle has been recovered, and we are no longer on-site.”
Antonio is in his 10th season with West Ham, having joined from Nottingham Forest in 2015. He has scored 83 goals in 323 appearances, making him the club’s all-time Premier League goalscorer and helping the Hammers secure the Europa Conference League title in 2023.
He began his football career with non-League Tooting and Mitcham before moving to Reading and has also played for Cheltenham, Southampton, Colchester, and Sheffield Wednesday. He made his Jamaica debut in 2021 and has netted five goals in 21 appearances for the national team.
Jamaica’s head coach Steve McClaren expressed his wishes for Antonio’s speedy recovery on behalf of the entire team.
Several of West Ham’s rivals, including Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool, have also extended their well-wishes through social media.
West Ham is set to host Wolverhampton at the London Stadium on Monday.
