“Feel guilty” | Antonio legacy at risk over standoff | OneFootball

Michail Antonio will undoubtedly go down as a club legend when his departure is finally confirmed.

The player who has been in east London for a decade, having come through the route and mountain of non-league football, to lifting a European trophy and becoming the clubs record Premier League goalscorer in the process.

It’s a romantic tale that all connected with West Ham hold dear, along with the many unforgettable memories Antonio has delivered in the last 10 years.

However, despite all the fondness and love that shared between both the club, player and fans, his exit from the club is one that many would have not wanted to see play out.

A horrific car accident last year, which the player was lucky to even come away from alive, is said to have made him realise what is important in life. However, the reaction to a very-fair contract offer from the club, to allow him to recover at the club and push to make his return, has been rejected due to the low wage and length of the deal.

Antonio is of course within his rights to reject the deal and if he does have other offers on the table  – but West Ham shouldn’t be pushed into a corner to be made to feel guilty for not extending his current highly-paid contract.

The saga is creating a cloud over the legacy of a player who will still always been regarded as a club legend, but one too that should also remember what is important too, and West Ham has been the most significant chapter in his football life.