West Ham striker Michail Antonio is in a stable condition in hospital after being involved in a serious car accident, the club has confirmed.
The club released a statement earlier on Saturday afternoon to confirm that the 34-year-old had been injured in a crash. The Premier League side have now provided more details.
” West Ham United can confirm that Michail Antonio is in a stable condition following a road traffic accident this afternoon in the Essex area,” the club said in a statement.
“Michail is conscious and communicating and is currently under close supervision at a central London hospital.
“At this difficult time, we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of Michail and his family.
“The Club will make no further comment this evening, but will issue a further update in due course.”
The previous statement added: “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Club are with Michail, his family and friends at this time.”
Essex Police later released a statement, sharing a public appeal for witnesses and dash cam footage. The force confirmed Antonio’s Ferrari was the only car involved in the incident.
They said: “Officers investigating a serious collision in Epping are asking for witnesses and dash cam footage.
“We were called shortly after 12.50pm on Saturday 7 December to Coppice Row, Epping, following reports of what is believed to be a single vehicle collision involving a Ferrari.
“Emergency services attended and the driver has been taken to hospital. The vehicle has been recovered and we are no longer on scene. An investigation will be carried out by our Roads Policing Unit.
“If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us.
“Please quote incident 605 of 7 December when providing any information to make sure it gets to the right person as quickly as possible.
“Alternatively, please email the investigating officer, PS Mark Hewitt.”
Antonio’s former Reading team-mate Jobi McAnuff was among those to send their best wishes to the Jamaica international. “Thoughts and prayers to Michail and his family,” he wrote on Instagram.
The West Ham striker has also received an outpouring of support from the wider footballing world. The Premier League said in a statement: “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Premier League are also with Antonio, his family, friends and all at West Ham.”
The Football Supporters’ Association wrote: “Sounds awful. Wishing Michail and all involved a full recovery.”
It is not the first time Antonio has been involved in a car accident, having crashing his £210,000 Lamborghini into a front garden while dressed as a snowman on Christmas Day 2019.
Antonio has 83 goals in 322 games for West Ham, having joined the club in 2015. He is West Ham’s record scorer in the Premier League and has previously represented Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, Colchester, Southampton, Cheltenham and Reading, having started his career in non-league with Tooting & Mitcham.
He has one goal in 15 appearances across all competition for West Ham, having come off the substitutes’ bench in their 3-1 defeat at Leicester on Tuesday. The Hammers, who are 14th in the Premier League table, are next in action against Wolves at the London Stadium on Monday night.
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