Jarrod Bowen reacts to Michail Antonio message amid West Ham exit news
West Ham star Jarrod Bowen has reacted to an emotional message from Michail Antonio as the long-serving striker’s future hangs in the balance.
The Hammers struggled to compete in the Premier League last term, and Antonio was a big miss in their squad following a car crash in December that saw him suffer a broken leg.
His serious injury ruled him out for the duration of the campaign, and he was unable to add to his 323 appearances since joining the club from Nottingham Forest in 2015.
The Jamaican international has become a cult-hero for the East London outfit over the last 10 years, with 83 goals scored and a key role played in their 2023 Europa Conference League triumph.
An injury as serious as the one he suffered has had a huge impact on his career at 35-years-old though, and West Ham boss Graham Potter is set to allow him to leave the club this summer with his contract up at the end of this month.
Jarrod Bowen reacts to poignant Michail Antonio message as West Ham exit nears
According to The Athletic (26 May), West Ham have held contract discussions with Antonio as he makes progress in his recovery, but they are ‘unlikely’ to hand him an extension to his current deal at the London Stadium.
The 35-year-old has taken to his Instagram page to provide numerous updates to Hammers supporters over the last few months, and his recent post was a compilation of his recovery from the crash to the present-day captioned “Faith will overcome all challenges” with a praying hands emoji.
West Ham teammate Jarrod Bowen chose to react to Antonio’s emotional message by liking his post, while Tomas Soucek and Emerson Palmieri each did the same and both added a comment with numerous love-heart emojis to show their delight at the striker’s progress.
Right-back Vladimir Coufal, who is set to depart the Hammers at the end of his contract this month, also liked the post and commented, saying: “Respect brother,” while former West Ham stars Pablo Fornals and Felipe Anderson also moved to react to the message with a like.
Antonio would be a good option for a newly-promoted Premier League side if he leaves West Ham
Football Insider verdict
Antonio insisted in March that his crash was “just another setback” [The Guardian] in his career that has spanned 16 years and over 550 appearances for eight different professional clubs, so it is clear that he feels he has even more to offer in the game despite now being 35-years-old.
He has not been offered a new deal by the Irons’ hierarchy as yet, and right now it certainly seems unlikely following those aforementioned reports, as well as his age and the seriousness of his injury that he has not long recovered from.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 323 | 83 | 42 |
With that said, his past form and stellar experience at the top level is bound to be attractive to potential suitors this summer, and he would be a great capture for a newly-promoted Premier League side if he does officially depart the London Stadium.
Sunderland, for example, have a very young squad that is mostly made up of players that are yet to appear in the top-flight in their careers so far, so adding a player like Antonio to their ranks would make a lot of sense if he is fit and his wage demands align with the club’s structure.
Leeds United and Burnley should also be interested, but their potential to sign more high-profile players from overseas could mean that they do not see the 35-year-old as a viable option this summer.