Michail Antonio can't remember anything about horror car crash that almost killed him as West Ham legend opens up on Beyonce song that moved him to tears during his recovery

Reflecting on that traumatic day, Antonio tells Akinfenwa: "What's crazy about it, everybody in the world experienced that crash more than me. Even though I was in it, I didn't live it because I don't remember anything about it. I don't remember the crash, I don't remember being in the hospital, I don't remember going in for the operation, I don't remember coming out of the operation. There were loads of emotions coming through, my body remembers stuff even though my mind doesn't. What I've learnt from the car crash is football's important, but your health is more important.

"There was a lot of stuff I kept pushing back, that I kept not doing because I was being lazy. I kept saying to everybody; 'I want to get into TV, do my presenting, do my podcast', and I never really pushed it. It'll be done another time. But that time nearly didn't happen because I almost died."

One song in particular aided Antonio during his recovery, reducing him to tears as he consumed the lyrics. The 35-year-old added: "I was in Dubai with my kids, my daughter loves Beyonce, [and the song] I Was Here. Have you listened to those words? I've listened to it so many times but since the car crash, I listened to it and I was just sitting there, in a room with my kids but I've gone into a corner and I was crying.

"Those words, when you've been through what I've been through, when you've nearly died. When I was listening to it, I've gone. Now I'm at that stage where I'm going to bring myself happiness. I'm going to do whatever needs to be done. As much as the crash was a curse, it was also a blessing. It's brought so many things to light and made me more focused and driven to do what needs to be done."

Antonio left West Ham when his contract expired in the summer of 2025, although he made an incredible return to the pitch at the end of the 2024-25 season as he turned out for Jamaica at the Gold Cup. Coming on as a substitute in his preferred forward areas of the pitch during that tournament, the former Sheffield Wednesday star recalls a time when then-Hammers boss Slaven Bilic insisted he played as a right-back - something that didn't go down well with the veteran forward.

He tells Akinfenwa: "I spoke to the gaffer and he was like: 'I want you to do me a favour, we've signed no right-backs, I think I can make you one of the best right-backs in the world'. First game of the [2016-17] season against Chelsea. He's (Slaven Bilic) gone to me: 'Trust me, I'm going to be here for you [while you play ay right-back]'. I've done a mad flick. I don't know what I was thinking at the time, I tried to dink it over [Eden] Hazard in my own box, lost the ball. He's done a one-two and I've tripped him up for a pen. The gaffer's dragged me, instantly. And I was like: 'This is why I can't play right-back'. I'm attack-minded, I think of these stupid things to do in my own box. No need.

"From that moment, I'm not playing there anymore. I won't play there. The gaffer pulled me up about it at the end of the game. I made a mistake. In the end I just went: 'I'm not playing there no more, this is not my position, put me back on the wing or don't play me'. 'I don't enjoy playing there, it's ruining my football'. He was angry. He was like: 'When I tell you to play somewhere you play there'. And I've done that, for nearly a year now, but that's not my position. So put me back in my place. It was crazy, next week he played me right wing and I scored the very first goal at the London Stadium."