West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen has issued a message of support to teammate Michail Antonio, who remains in hospital after a serious road traffic accident.
Antonio underwent surgery on a lower limb fracture on Sunday after being released from his car after a crash in the Epping Forest.
West Ham said on Saturday evening that he was in a stable condition and was “conscious and communicating”, and will be monitored over the next few days.
The 34-year-old is the club’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorer with 68 in the top flight since arriving from Nottingham Forest in 2015.
“It’s been one of those things that you think you’d never be involved in,” Bowen admitted to Sky Sports ahead of West Ham’s clash with Wolves. “Mich[ail Antonio] has been here longer than I have, everyone loves him. He’s a big character.
“Those few hours on Saturday were difficult when we got the news. He’s not just a teammate, he’s a friend of ours, a dad to beautiful children. I just want to say thank you for all of the support. As captain, I’ve seen all of the messages that he’s got. It’s one of those things where life is bigger than football sometimes.
“The main thing now is Mich is safe, he’s well and he’s here to tell the story. Saturday was a worrying time but Mich is a warrior and a fighter, he has been throughout his career, so I know he’ll be back stronger from this.”
Capped 21 times by Jamaica, Antonio was twice called up to the England squad in 2016 and 2017 without making an appearance before switching his allegiance to the nation of his parents.
He has featured 14 times in the Premier League this season, registering once.
