'My heroes' - Michail Antonio thanks medics for saving his life in emotional visit to air ambulance base after horror car crash that left West Ham star with 'mental trauma'

Back in December, the 34-year-old was pulled from the wreckage of his Ferrari after a harrowing crash near Epping Forest, Essex, where he was trapped for nearly an hour. Antonio's injuries included a broken leg that required immediate surgery.

Antonio’s grey Ferrari, estimated to cost £260,000, veered off the road and crashed into a tree. Fire crews had to cut through the wreckage to free the footballer, to be airlifted to hospital. However, due to storm-related high winds, the helicopter could not take off. Instead, the air ambulance team - Dr James Moloney and critical care paramedic Rob Moon - were forced to rush to the scene by road.

Now on the road to recovery, Antonio took the time to visit the airbase where he met Dr Moloney and Moon face-to-face for the first time since the incident. Emotionally charged, the Premier League star didn’t hold back in expressing his gratitude.

"I want to say thank you because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you guys," he said on theBBC's Morning Live show. "So you guys are basically my heroes."

Antonio admitted the physical recovery has been steady, but the mental and emotional impact of the crash has been far more challenging.

"For me, personally, I could never do your job," he told them.

"If I go there and see blood or people in trouble, I would just panic or faint. It's definitely something I wouldn't be able to do. Being involved in a major accident can have life-changing physical and mental effects. I've processed it to a certain degree, but I think the emotions are going to take a long time. Mentally, trauma lasts a long time."

Antonio, a father of six, noted that while he physically experienced the crash, the emotional toll on his family may have been greater.

"My family probably experienced the incident more than I did," he added. "They had to see how I was in the hospital. I don't remember my face being cut or going down for surgery the next day. They lived it. They have those memories."

Upon arrival, the medical team immediately recognised the extent of the damage. Though they suspected the injured man might be a professional athlete, confirmation came when they spotted a No. 9 West Ham shirt with 'Antonio' printed on the back, lying inside the vehicle.

"We treat everyone the same, whatever happens. But not many people have a shirt with their name on the back," said Dr Moloney.

Antonio's future at West Ham remains a topic of discussion, with his current contract set to expire in the summer. The club has reportedly begun talks to extend his deal.