Michail Antonio joins Al-Sailiya 15 months after near-fatal car crash
Former West Ham striker Michail Antonio has signed for Qatari side Al-Sailiya, marking a return to club football 15 months after surviving a near-fatal car crash.
The 35-year-old suffered four fractures to his femur during the accident in Epping Forest, which resulted in a three-week hospital stay.
Antonio left West Ham following the expiry of his contract and has not played a club match since the incident.
He joins a Doha-based outfit that currently sits 10th in the Qatar Stars League.
Failed Premier League moves
The Jamaica international had been training with Premier League sides Brentford and Leicester City prior to this move.
Despite impressing coaching staff, he failed to secure a permanent deal with either club due to fitness setbacks.
Discussions with League One side Charlton Athletic also ended without an agreement.
Antonio revealed he tore a calf muscle just one day before he was scheduled to sign for the Bees.
“When I found out I’d torn my calf the day before signing for Brentford, I laid in bed for two days,” Antonio told BBC Sport.
“First day, I was just crying. The second day, I just didn’t want to get out of bed.”
“I thought ‘I’m back where I want to be, I’m back in the Premier League’.”
‘I had to swallow my ego’
The forward admits that finding a new employer has been a humbling experience requiring significant mental resilience.
He noted that while managers were often keen to sign him, club owners were hesitant due to his medical history.
“I’ve still got the qualities I had in the Premier League for the past 10 years,” Antonio said.
“It shows, because every single manager was putting a contract in front of me once I trained with them.”
“But there were managers and clubs who refused to look at me because of what happened – the accident, the injury.”
“Some owners went against it. In football, the manager can want you, but it’s the owner’s money.”
New start in Qatar
Antonio links up with former Premier League players Anwar El Ghazi and Mason Holgate at his new club.
While he has made three substitute appearances for Jamaica since the accident, this represents his first permanent club contract.
It remains unclear when the striker will make his debut for the Peregrines.
Al-Sailiya’s upcoming fixtures against Al Arabi and Al-Duhail have been postponed due to regional instability.
Antonio addressed the situation on social media, expressing gratitude for his return to the sport.
“First and foremost, I’m praying that God brings peace to the whole region and around the world and keeps everyone safe,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to step back onto the pitch when the time is right and do what I love.”
