Michail Antonio Trains With Leicester to Restart Career After Crash

Michail Antonio Trains With Leicester After Life-Threatening Crash

Michail Antonio is back in full training, hoping to reignite his football career with Championship leaders Leicester City—just a year after surviving a devastating car crash that left his playing future in serious doubt.

The 35-year-old striker, released by West Ham United in June 2025, is currently a free agent and is being assessed by Foxes boss Marti Cifuentes.

“He has looked good and has been a good lad to have around,” Cifuentes told BBC East Midlands Today.

“We are just having a look at him and he is happy to train with us.”

A Long Road Back from Catastrophic Injury

Antonio suffered a shattered femur in four places when his Ferrari crashed into a tree in Epping Forest in December 2024.

The injury required major surgery and over three weeks in hospital, with Antonio later revealing the intense mental and physical battle to walk—let alone play—again.

Though he did not return for West Ham before his contract ended, Antonio did feature for Jamaica over the summer and built up minutes with West Ham U21s in pre-season.

Timely Option for Leicester

Leicester are considering Antonio as a short-term option, particularly with striker Patson Daka set to depart for AFCON duty with Zambia.

“Match fitness will take some time. It’s never easy, because the level of the game is different,” Cifuentes added.

Despite his age and injury history, Antonio remains a proven top-flight performer, leaving West Ham as their all-time Premier League top scorer with 68 goals in 268 games.

Antonio’s Career in Numbers

• 68 Premier League goals for West Ham

• 10 years with the Hammers

• Over 130 career goals in 550+ appearances

• Previous clubs: Reading, Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Tooting & Mitcham

Antonio signed his first professional deal with Reading at age 18 and climbed from non-league to the Premier League—a journey now aiming for one final chapter.