Thierry Henry told Monday Night Football on Sky Sports that West Ham would be ‘higher’ in the Premier League table if Michail Antonio played more games.
The Highbury legend is a big fan of the West Ham striker, who netted a brace for Hammers last night as they came from behind to beat Burnley.
It was Antonio’s ninth Premier League goal of the season, but only after 22 games, with injuries throughout the season, once again, causing him problems.
And even though David Moyes’ side are sitting fifth in the Premier League table – three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea – Henry thinks things could have been much better had Antonio stayed out of the treatment room.
“He is contagious,” said Henry. “He works hard every single time and when you play in a team like that, you as a defender see a guy battling on everything, you can give him any time of ball and he will try to hold it.
“Put people in and, more than time to time, he will score a goal for you. They missed him (when he was injured).
“I think if he didn’t get that amount of injuries this year then maybe they would have been higher.”
Antonio has missed 12 league matches through injury, with the Hammers winning five of those games.
It’s not a case of West Ham being reliant on his qualities because they also have the likes of Tomas Soucek, Declan Rice and Jesse Lingard as superstar players.
But it’s what he brings to the table and how he drives the team forward with his energy and all-action style that is missed when he’s not in the starting XI.
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