Michail Antonio: Vincent Kompany could succeed Pep Guardiola as Man City boss
West Ham forward Michail Antonio has backed Burnley boss Vincent Kompany to take over at Manchester City when Pep Guardiola leaves.
Michail Antonio is a Jamaican professional soccer player who plays as striker for West Ham United in the Premier League.
Beginning his career at non-league side Tooting and Mitcham, then Reading, followed by a number of loan moves, the forward hasn't had the easiest of journeys.
However, Antonio eventually found his feet at Sheffield Wednesday, signing for them permanently in 2012. After spending two years in Sheffield and a move to Nottingham Forest later, the then winger earned himself a move to Premier League side West Ham United.
After six years in east London, where he converted to a striker, Antonio wrote himself into the West Ham history books, becoming their record Premier League goal scorer.
After progressing through the ranks at Tooting and Mitcham from the age of 12, Antonio made his professional debut aged 18 in a 3-0 victory over Wealdstone, a game he scored in.
Antonio scored four goals in four games for the part-time club, and quickly earned himself a professional contract at EFL side Reading in 2008.
However, the move to the Football League wasn't plain sailing and Antonio was loaned out to five different clubs over the next four seasons, including a return to Tooting and Mitcham, Cheltenham Town and Southampton.
Antonio scored in Southampton's 4-1 Football League Trophy Final over Carlisle, to claim his first piece of silverware. Although he had a positive impact on the side, he once again returned to Reading to be met with another loan move.
An emergency loan move to Sheffield Wednesday in 2012, would turn out to be a quite significant transfer.
Antonio proved his quality to play first team soccer for Sheffield Wednesday, earning himself a permanent four-year deal with the club.
Following a transfer fee of £1.5million, Antonio proved his worth early on in the campaign, claiming three goals and three assists in the opening five games.
🙌 Last-minute limbs!
— Nottingham Forest FC ❤️ (@NFFC) October 19, 2018
Who remembers this late winner from Michail Antonio to defeat @NorwichCityFC in the 2014-15 season? #NFFC pic.twitter.com/y48aEikBHC
His outstanding performances throughout the 14/15 season earned him the Nottingham Forest Player of the Year award.
His standout season caught the attention of Premier League clubs, with Forest rejecting a £4million bid from West Bromwich Albion, before accepting a £7million bid from West Ham United.
Antonio joined West Ham in September 2015 for a fee of £7million. In his first season he continued his scoring talents, netting for the Hammers for the first time in a 2-1 win over former club Southampton.
Goals against Spurs, Liverpool, and Manchester United announced the striker as a West Ham player, netting 13 goals in his first season.
However, calf and hamstring injuries during the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons costed Antonio crucial game time and he struggled to build on improving his game, despite being named as Hammer of the Year in 2017.
Although Antonio had missed out on a majority of the previous campaign, he faired better in the 2018/19 season, making 38 appearance in all competitions, scoring seven.
The striker would improve on his previous goal tally the in Covid-19 hit season of 2019/20. He scored 10 from 26 in all competitions, including the first goal at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and netting four times against Norwich.
I LOVE FOOTBALL, I LOVE SCORING GOALS, I LOVE MAKING HISTORY, I LOVE THIS TEAM AND I LOVE EVERYONE WHO HELPED ME GET TO WHERE I AM TODAY 🙌🏾⚽️⚒ #49NotOut pic.twitter.com/OJLndy26MV
— Michail Antonio (@Michailantonio) August 24, 2021
Antonio was truly coming to himself, consistently performing in the Premier League with the Hammers. Another 10 goal season was around the corner as West Ham finished in a groundbreaking and European football clinching sixth in 2020/21.
He finished the season as the club's top scorer and continued that good form into the 2021/22 season. In August 2021, Antonio scored twice against Leicester City to break Paolo Di Canio's record of 47 Premier League goals for the club, bringing his own total to 49.
With the dream to play for England, Antonio originally rejected his Jamaican roots and strived to play for the Three Lions.
Antonio is married to his Debbie Whittle, the couple have four children, two boys and two girls.
During his childhood, Antonio was involved in gang culture, raised within the London Borough of Wandsworth. Soccer ended that lifestyle.
Michail Antonio's net worth is reported to be £17million.
West Ham forward Michail Antonio has backed Burnley boss Vincent Kompany to take over at Manchester City when Pep Guardiola leaves.
West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek was delighted the club was able to get back to winning ways after losing back-to-back Premier League matches.
Mauricio Pochettino expresses his assurance that Chelsea will swiftly make strides in spite of a concerning 3-1 loss against a 10-man West Ham team.
West Ham United forward Michail Antonio is confident the Hammer's squad is strong enough to kick on and win more after picking up the Europa Conference League trophy.
Serie A's Fiorentina and the Premier League's West Ham United will meet in the UEFA Europa Conference League final at Fortuna Arena in Prague on Wednesday evening.
West Ham United striker Michail Antonio is in a race against time to be fit for the Europa Conference League semi-final clash against AZ Alkmaar.
Planet Sport looks at Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte's extraordinary criticism of his players and the progress the club has made under Daniel Levy.