Michail Antonio Explores Return to Football with Charlton Athletic After Recovery

omidbasir- Michail Antonio, during his decade-long tenure at West Ham, scored 83 goals in 323 appearances.

Recently, Antonio has engaged in preliminary discussions with Championship club Charlton Athletic about a potential return to domestic football following a serious car crash.

Since the highly-publicized accident in December 2024, which left the 35-year-old with multiple fractures in his legs, Antonio has not participated in any competitive matches in England. After his recovery, he represented Jamaica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in June of last year but was subsequently released by West Ham ahead of the current season.

Although discussions with Brentford and Leicester for potential transfers did not come to fruition, sources from BBC Sport indicate that Antonio is now exploring a short-term deal with Charlton.

While negotiations are still in the early stages and nothing has been finalized, Charlton’s manager Nathan Jones believes that Antonio could provide significant value to the squad for the remainder of the season.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC in March 2025, Antonio reflected on his near-fatal accident in Essex, stating, “I felt like I was close to dying” and considers himself to have been given “another chance at life.” He described the severity of his injuries, having shattered his femur in four places, and outlined the recovery process, which included a keyhole surgery and a challenging rehabilitation regimen.

Antonio mentioned, “My initial surgeon advised against putting any weight on my leg for three months, which is approximately now, and you can see I am walking. However, after consulting a second specialist, I was encouraged to gradually increase weight-bearing activity within weeks. I ultimately kept my crutches for an additional two weeks, and overall, they estimate a healing period of six to twelve months before I fully recover.”

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