- Michail Antonio has spoken following West Ham United’s relegation
- Antonio, the club’s all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League, departed the Hammers in 2025
- Antonio revealed his relationship with the then-head coach Graham Potter
West Ham United’s recent relegation has raised questions about the behind-the-scenes goings-on of a club that were only crowned European Champions in 2023 after lifting the Conference League in Prague.
The Hammers join Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley in next season’s second division slog after finishing 18th with 39 points (a tally that would have kept them in the Premier League in the last 15 seasons but not this).
Club captain Jarrod Bowen and Tomáš Souček were part of that electric European night in Prague, with the former scoring the crowning goal. Now the pair, with over 500 West Ham appearances between them, face an uncertain future at the club. Their teammate on the night, and for all their East London stay until last year, has spoken about the Irons’ behind-the-scenes unravelling.
Michail Antonio describes final year at West Ham
Antonio was part of the experienced dressing-room exile under Graham Potter, with Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Lukasz Fabianski, and Kurt Zouma also departing last summer.
The Athletic revealed, after recovering from a terrifying car accident, that Antonio, West Ham’s all-time highest scorer in the Premier League, was told he would be released after not agreeing to a new deal.
There has been a significant leadership void at Rush Green following the departures, as this season has evidenced. While Cresswell was well-known for providing behind-the-scenes assistance to younger employees and players, Antonio had coordinated team-building exercises and player fines.
Antonio, who was rehabilitating in the Middle East after his accident, told The i Paper that his return to the club under Potter, who had replaced Julen Lopetegui, was marked by constant change.
“I just feel like Graham Potter came in and tried to change too much,” the 36-year-old explained.
“As a manager, you’ve got to come in and understand the culture of the club. And I just don’t feel like he did. He came in, he got rid of all the senior pros: me, Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Edson Alvarez – the captain of Mexico.”
After winning just six of his 25 games in command, Potter was fired in late September 2025, and Nuno Espirito Santo, his successor, was ultimately unable to improve the Hammers’ situation.
“Then within three, four weeks of getting rid of those players and the season starts, the first thing he says is, we have no leaders in the changing room.”
“How can you say you’ve got no leaders in the changing rooms if you get rid of all the leaders? So it was just, I feel like it was Graham Potter, who kind of put the team in bad stead.”
Antonio on “ruthless” Karren Brady relationship
Antonio stated that he had a “good relationship with David Sullivan,” the West Ham owner and then-vice-chairman Karren Brady. However, the Jamaican international also talked candidly about leaving the club, explaining how his relationship with Brady deteriorated during contract talks following his severe crash.
Antonio said their relationship became “ruthless” when he was given a contract for barely £5,000 per week, with no route back to the first squad, despite his initial admiration for her personal support in his recovery.
Describing a conversation, Antonio said: “If you’re going to give me a contract and I can’t play for the first team, at least give me a contract that’s more than what the under-21s are on. Her response was, ‘well they haven’t broken their leg in a massive car crash. We don’t know what the outcome is going to be’. I was just like, ‘alright’. Thank you very much.”
The charismatic forward now plays for Al-Sailiya of the Qatar Stars League. Although not a current member, Antonio’s revelations offer a stark reminder of the club’s current thinking, which culminated in its relegation.
