‘Hurt me’: West Ham ace says he was ‘upset’ when Moyes dropped him recently

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Speaking on the Footballer’s Football Podcast, Michail Antonio has shared how he felt when he was left on the bench against Chelsea at the weekend.

The Jamaica international has been one of West Ham’s key men this season, but against their London rivals, the striker was left on the bench as the Hammers fell to a 1-0 defeat.

Antonio says that he was hurt by the fact he was left out, stating that it actually upset him quite a bit.

What’s been said?

Antonio spoke about being left out against Chelsea.

“I’m not going to lie to you, it hurt me, I’ve not spoken to the manager, but it hurt me. When I’m fit I want to play, the fact is that over the last few years my injuries have meant I’m not able to stay fit. This season, I’ve been fit and because I’m fit, I want to play, so I was upset, I won’t lie,” Antonio said.

Bigger fish to fry

Antonio was clearly annoyed about being left out against Chelsea, but he needs to realise that this is all part of a bigger plan.

As the striker says himself, he can be injury-prone, and with a Europa League semi-final on the horizon, Moyes couldn’t afford to risk him against the Blues.

Antonio is clearly still one of Moyes’ trusted stars on the pitch. Hence why he started against Frankfurt on Thursday, and the striker needs to realise this.

West Ham aren’t going to finish in the top four this season, so the Europa League is their best chance of playing in the Champions League next term, and that’s what Antonio was being saved for.