By Ewah Chika.
Michail Antonio was an unknown figure in the Premier League when he joined Slaven Bilic's side for £7 million from Nottingham Forest after just one season at the City Ground. Fast forward to last week and the player received a call-up to the Three Lions after scoring two goals in his last three games in the league this season.
The winger possesses pace, delicate touch and strong physique which has made him a stand out player for the Hammers. There is an ongoing debate centred on the best position for the player who flopped in his four years at Reading, scoring one goal in 25 league games considering he has operated as in both wing and right back positions in West Ham. Last season, the player scored eight league goals, taking his chance after injuries to more established players like Maunuel Lanzini, Victor Moses and Dmitri Payet.
"The wing is my natural position. That's where I love to play. I'm a player who loves to get up the pitch, I'm a player who loves to score goals.
"That's why I play football, that's why I'll take the wing all day," he said when quizzed on his best position on the field.
It wasn't really rosy for the 26-year-old who was playing non-league football as early as seven years ago. It is shocking to hear that Antonio was playing for non-league football club Tooting and Mitcham as early as 2009 aged 17 with a crowd capacity of just 25. Things did not stay that way as he moved to Nottingham Forest for £1.5 million in August 2014 after playing for two years in Sheffield Wednesday.
The Englishman did not take time to impress then manager Dougie Freedman, scoring 15 goals and providing 12 assists in 49 games In all competitions for Forest, ending the season as Forest's Player of the Year 2014/2015. Although £7 million can be said to be high for a player with little or no top flight experience, the fee could have been higher if not for the ban that prohibited Forest from signing players or offering players new contracts of more than £10,000 weekly. This season, Antonio started it on a sad note after committing the foul that led to Eden Hazard's penalty goal (Chelsea won 2-1) which condemned the Hammers to a loss in Stamford Bridge, this did not end there as Sam Byram quickly replaced the former Forest player in the right back position minutes after his error. This error did not deter Bilic rather it compelled him to start the player in midfield which he did in the next game against Bournemouth, a game the winger repaid his manager's faith by scoring a last minute winner for the Hammers. Antonio's story did not end there as the winger scored another goal in the 3-1 defeat of West Ham by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
Though he is not world class yet, Antonio has been an asset for the East London side making it difficult to feel the vacuum left by the absence of Victor Moses who returned to parent club Chelsea and also the injury ravaging the club with Sofiane Feghouli, Dede Ayew and Dmitri Payet all injured at the moment. For now , Antonio will have to do better to force himself into Sam Alladycee's Three Lions squad but at present it cannot be argued that he is doing pretty fine, although the question remains 'if the player can repeat his last season's success or be condemned as a one season wonder'. Only time will tell what will happen come end of the season .
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