Michail Antonio: 'Diogo Jota's death shocked me to my core, it could have been me' | OneFootball

The striker was involved in a car crash months before the Liverpool forward’s tragedy

Michail Antonio says Diogo Jota's death in a car crash months after his own horror accident “shocked me to my core”.

Liverpool forward Jota and his brother Andre Silva both lost their lives last month when their car left the road due to a tyre blowout and then caught fire.

The tragedy happened eight months after Antonio, then playing for West Ham, crashed his car into a tree when driving home from the club's training ground. It left the striker with a broken leg and admitting he is lucky to be alive. News of Jota's death hit him hard.

It shocked me to my very core as it could easily have been me ... I was on my way home from training and almost lost my life

Michail Antonio

"It shocked me from my core," Antonio told Standard Sport at the FA Community Shield.

"I was in the gym, doing some strength work on my leg at the time with one of my physios, and he told me.

“I called it a day and went home. It shocked me to my very core as it could easily have been me."

He added: "I was the person that kept on always pushing things to the side, pushing things to the side to deal with it later. I'm more of a go-getter now. It made me realise that anything could happen.

“I was literally on my way home from training and I almost lost my life, so now I just move forward and everything I do and just try and focus on my next steps."

Antonio's next steps involve finding a new club following West Ham's announcement last week that he had been released following the expiry of his contract.

The 35-year-old has already had offers from clubs abroad, though his wish is to remain in England.

West Ham have since signed Callum Wilson and Antonio revealed that his friend, and fellow podcast host, asked permission to take his No9 shirt with the Hammers.

"I was happy for him. And he said it to me before on our [Footballer's Football Podcast]. He said 'I'm going to take your place!’

"He ended up signing, and he called me afterwards and asked me for my No9 shirt out of respect, which he didn't have to do because I've left the club. He called me up and I was like, 'to be honest, before me, I would have said you wouldn't want it, because the record wasn't the best, but obviously, I've done it well for you right now.'

"So, he's gone in there and I'm happy for him. Him and me are very close, we speak all the time. I'm hoping that he goes in there and does well."

TNT Sports