The big wide player has impressed for West Ham United.
Speaking to The Mail, Martin Keown has expressed his admiration for West Ham United wing-back Michail Antonio.
The 26-year-old has arguably been the Irons’ Player of the Season in what has been an otherwise disappointing Premier League campaign so far.
The former Nottingham Forest winger has scored six times in 11 league outings, and his goal in the 1-1 draw with Stoke on Saturday was his first in nearly two months.
Impressively, five of Antonio’s goals were scored with his head, and Keown says the England international is nigh-on ‘unstoppable’ in the air at times and simply a “bull of a man”.
“We all know how good he is in the air but no one seems to be able to stop him. He’s scored five headers this season – more than anyone else in the Premier League – and he’s a real throwback of a player,” he told The Mail.
“He’s a powerful bull of a man and the modern-day full back doesn’t seem to be able to cope with him when he takes up those back-post positions. But he can play as well, and there’s been a massive improvement in his game.
“He’s runs well with the ball and has always had really good pace, but he’s linking with his team-mates better now. He’s the sort of player you might think you’ve got nailed down, only for him to suddenly break away and score.”
Antonio has now netted 13 Premier League goals in 2016 – only Sergio Aguero, Jermain Defoe, Harry Kane & Diego Costa have netted more.
West Ham sit 17th in the table, just one point above the relegation zone following a very testing first 11 games this season – and it does not get much easier for Slaven Bilic’s troops, who visit Tottenham after the international break.
West Ham United’s Michail Antonio in action with Everton’s Seamus Coleman
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