The West Ham United star has proven to be a superb signing for the club.
West Ham United’s Michail Antonio in action
Hammers star Michail Antonio sat down for an exclusive interview with the club’s official website, after penning a new and improved four-year deal, and opened up on his perception of West Ham, highlighting just how big a club they actually are.
The 27-year-old winger moved to the East London outfit from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2015, for a fee believed to be in the region of £7 million, and has since gone on to establish himself as a fan favourite, scoring 17 goals in 55 Premier League appearances.
He is undoubtedly one of Slaven Bilic’s most important players, if not the most important, and the Croatian’s team have really struggled when the former Forest man has been absent from the starting line-up.
And Antonio spoke exclusively to WHUFC.com after signing a new deal with the club, sharing how big a club the Hammers are, and how their reputation stretches far and wide:
West Ham United’s Michail Antonio
“I’ve always known West Ham as a massive club with a massive fan base. When I went to the Boleyn Ground, I was very surprised it was only 35,000 holding there because I was thinking ‘where are all the rest of the fans?’ Everywhere I’d go, I meet West Ham fans – doesn’t matter where I’ve gone, Dubai, Japan – wherever I go there is West Ham fans there! I knew we definitely needed to double the capacity and moving here was definitely the best decision we’ve done.”
West Ham have managed to salvage their season in recent weeks, and now sit in 12th position in the table. They could finish as high as eighth with six points from their final two games, and that would surely represent somewhat of a success, after their horrendous start to the campaign.
With Antonio now signed down for the long-term, there is genuine reason for Hammers fans to feel confident about their chances next season, and if Bilic can make some smart acquisitions during the summer, they should be in a very strong position from which to mount an assault on the top seven in the 2017/18 Premier League campaign.
West Ham United’s Michail Antonio celebrates
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