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Wils 12:51 Thu May 16
West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/05/16/west-ham-michail-antonio-therapy-disliking-football/

Antonio reveals how off-pitch problems left him ‘mentally drained’ and hoping he would get injured so he didn’t have to play
West Ham striker Michail Antonio has revealed he is having therapy after falling out of love with football.

The 34-year-old, who was called up for England early in his career but now represents Jamaica, has opened up about how the end of his marriage and childhood trauma left him with mental health struggles and unable to celebrate West Ham’s Europa Conference League final victory last season.

Speaking on the High Performance Podcast to presenter Jake Humphrey and author Damian Hughes, Antonio has revealed how off-pitch problems left him “mentally drained” and hoping he would get injured so he didn’t have to play.


“I just started disliking the game. I began therapy because I was really struggling,” Antonio said. “I was going through my divorce and stuff, and I honestly couldn’t get my head around it. After we won (the Europa Conference League), the whole team went out, the gaffer went out, got steaming, a couple of boys didn’t sleep for two days, just got drunk for two days – I was asleep on the coach and went back to the hotel.

“I was just mentally drained because of everything that was going on outside of my football and then I went back to the hotel and went to sleep while everyone was out partying.”

Antonio’s issues spiralled around Dec 2022 when he realised that he was no longer enjoying football. While playing with Jamaica offered him something of an escape, he hoped injury would strike to prevent him having to return to the Premier League – only for a medial ligament injury to bring a reality check that he was unlikely to get a new contract unless he stepped up his game.

To compound matters, Antonio also split up with wife Debbie Whittle after they married in 2017.

Antonio sought the help of the club’s medical staff while West Ham and the Professional Footballers’ Association were also able to offer specialist counsellors, but Antonio branched out to find his own therapist.



“I started therapy because I was really struggling. And how I grew up, it was never a thing,” he said. “I thought therapy was for crazy people. But therapy changed my life. At first it was awkward, I’m not going to lie. You’re sat in the room, someone was there and goes, ‘How are you?’

“And your natural response is ‘Fine’. So he’s like, ‘So why are you here?’ I was like, ‘To be honest, like, football, I’m struggling with football, I split up with my missus’.”

He added: “My life was a bit turned upside-down because obviously I’m splitting up with my missus, my wife, and also, I’m not performing on the pitch and things are just not going well for me.

“And then I’m a person where I’d never cry. And as I was talking to him, I just burst into tears. It was uncontrollable. That gave me some type of relief. And then like my chest felt like clear.”

Antonio also explained how childhood experiences had shaped his mistrust of people after he was betrayed by those he thought were close to him.

“There were certain things that happened in my childhood,” he said. “Let’s just say I struggled to make friendships when I was in primary school. There was no one that was, I would say, my best friend until I was like 12 and then that person kind of left.

“When I was 14, I thought these people were my friends, these guys end up stealing a bike. The people got caught with the bikes.

“They grouped up and said ‘Michail did it’. I’ve been friends with them for three years, going to school every day with them, so it just made me mistrust people.”

Travelling Iron 10:30 Thu May 23
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

He wasn't enjoying his football ?, newsflash mate, we weren't enjoying your performances either !

The difference being we are paying £50 a game to watch it whilst he gets £80,000 a week for not enjoying it.

LeroysBoots 9:48 Thu May 23
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

He wasn't enjoying his football ?, newsflash mate, we weren't enjoying your performances either !

Hammer and Pickle 10:46 Wed May 22
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

Gotta say one of the great things about WHO is it reminds me of school in SE London in the 70s.

chim chim cha boo 10:36 Wed May 22
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

J.Riddle 1:53 Sat May 18

Fair play mate, I was only kidding.

Lee Trundle 12:44 Mon May 20
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

I'll be fuming if we take up the years option on his contract as it doesn't make any sense to.

So I guess that's what will happen.

Eerie Descent 12:37 Mon May 20
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

Given that he started hating football, it's slightly bizarre that around the same time he decided to start a podcast talking about football.

Would've thought that'd be the last thing he fancied doing, given how much it was obviously affecting him.

J.Riddle 1:53 Sat May 18
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

Chim, I'm human like the next man, it affected me being bullied first time age 7 on way home alone across park much bigger kid 12 jumped me from behind then sat on top of me pinning my arms down with his fat legs then started pummelling the shirt out of my face with his fists until my head resembled a pumpkin, my older brother found him and he called his 12! brothers. Started pumping weights at 14 and started fighting back and smacked a few heads, but it still riles me if I could bump into one or two. 70s was brutal at times. I went to school in SE London full of pikey wall cunts. Too old for it now. Memories good or bad never go unless dementia sets in.

chim chim cha boo 6:29 Sat May 18
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

Yup J Riddle you are right, you're miles tougher than Micky Antonio.

Probably harder than that other poof with poor mental health, Tyson Fury?

Manuel 6:26 Sat May 18
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

Any Old Iron 12:11 Sat May 18

''But you have to feel for him as he’s only worth about £27 MILLION. Poor cunt.''


But that doesn't matter, remember :-)

J.Riddle 4:12 Sat May 18
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

FMOBs at 14 at school I was getting kneed in the bollocks and having some wall cunts stamping on my head with blakeys, got mugged for my chopper bike years before over the reck where I was forced to hold fireworks until they exploded and rolled down the hill full over stinging nettles and been skint most of my life. Don't know there born kids today, grow some.

collyrob 4:11 Sat May 18
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

bruuuno 10:41 Fri May 17
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’


Should never shag a tennis player. Love means nothing to them.

Any Old Iron 12:11 Sat May 18
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

Oh just shut the fuck up with your mentalhealth ishoos.
Micky is just a bit fed up ‘cos he’s getting a bit useless at football now that he’s 34.

But you have to feel for him as he’s only worth about £27 MILLION. Poor cunt.

Alfs 8:27 Fri May 17
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

You really don't get it, COYI.

The biggest killer of men under 50 is suicide. By removing the stigma that surrounds mental health in men will save lives. You remove that stigma by talking about it.

People like you, implying that admitting to poor mental health is a weakness, are part of the reason as to why men choose to end their life rather than seek help.

threesixty 8:25 Fri May 17
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

COYI

I think people just got on with things and then topped themselves anyway.. no one really knew why.

Think how many people back in the day wouldnt have put their head in the oven or whatever if they could chat to someone about it?

Remember male suicide rates have been the no.1 killer for a very long time. Its not just this latest generation..

However, I do agree people nowadays are a little too soft. It's got a bit stupid now. Life is hard, thats the baseline. I'm grateful to be breathing tbh. Everything else is a bonus really.

Manuel 8:24 Fri May 17
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

Are they discussing this on KUMB or is it just us benders? Do KUMB have a poem thread, or is it..

Bloody cardigans.

Come On You Irons 5:30 Fri May 17
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

"Just how he "feels". Which is what mental health is all about."

Well, publicly disclosing his mental health 'struggles' is what modern day, celebrity-culture mental health is all about. Normal people just get on with their lives and don't bore the world and its wife with how much they're 'struggling'.

When did it become acceptable to disclose 'vulnerabilities' in public. Modern society is so soft.

The generation that fought in two world wars wouldn't be so confused about how weak and decadent society has become.

threesixty 4:50 Fri May 17
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

fuaxstralian

No you're right it's not a crisis. But thats the point for many of us. We probably dont talk about things until multiple issued end up becoming a crisis. It's the whole "bottling up" thing that leads to men having super high suicide rates. It's never just 1 thing, its a load of things together I think.

Also, if it starts to affect your work and normal things you should be able to do: i.e. his football was shit and he was dreaming about being injured being a good thing, then yeah.. you need to talk to someone. Thats not right for anyone.

Fauxstralian 4:28 Fri May 17
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

Agree that it’s no bad thing for people speaking up as it may help someone else going through difficult times.
Talking about these things is better than bottling them up

Though I am old enough to think there should be a distinction between people suffering from serious mental health issues & people just facing the normal ups and downs of LIFE
Feeling a bit sad because West Ham lost or your girlfriend left you is not a MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

threesixty 3:50 Fri May 17
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

scott_d

"It doesn't sound like he's taking any responsibility for his actions."

He didn't "go to the press". He's on a podcast talking about the mental issues he has faced. He's not offering any judgement about whether what he has done is good or bad etc, Just how he "feels". Which is what mental health is all about, how we feel and perceive things as we all do that differently.

Which is why so many men dont speak about things because they are scared of being judged by people with different perspectives on life.

And I think it's totally normal to have cheated on someone and still feel very bad about losing them. Thats pretty much the most normal thing in the world. Being that sex for men is generally a physical thing and doesnt mean you dont value your partner etc.

Swiss. 2:22 Fri May 17
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

We relied on this fucker too long. Another Moyes fuck up.

Eerie Descent 1:32 Fri May 17
Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’

Poor sod sounds like he's gone through absolute hell. Imagine being wrongly accused of stealing a bike when you're 14?

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