West Ham forward Michail Antonio has expressed confidence in making a full recovery after surviving a near-fatal car crash that left him with a shattered femur.
The 34-year-old striker insists he will return to top-level football, despite the severity of his injury.
Antonio, West Ham's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer, spent over three weeks in the hospital following the December 7 crash.
His Ferrari struck a tree in Epping Forest during Storm Darragh, leaving his car unrecognizable. Reflecting on the accident, he admitted he has no memory of the crash itself.
"It's weird, because the whole way through this, I have been told that I was awake and was speaking to everybody – the police, the people, and the person who found me," Antonio told BBC One's Morning Live.
Doctors placed a metal rod in his thigh with four bolts to repair the shattered femur. Despite an initial prognosis of up to a year for full recovery, Antonio has made remarkable progress.
"I'm already two to three months ahead of where I should be," he said. "I know that I'll play again, and I know that once I'm playing the game I'll get the sharpness back."
West Ham have stood by Antonio, funding his rehabilitation and showing support during matches. His teammate Jarrod Bowen dedicated a goal to him, and the entire squad wore Antonio shirts before a game against Wolves.
"The love feels good," Antonio said. "Now I am definitely a West Ham fan. What the club did for me, the support they gave me on and off the field, was unbelievable."
Despite initial concerns about his contract expiring and a new manager, Graham Potter, taking over in his absence, Antonio remains focused on his recovery.
"If I rush myself, that will be the reason I didn't get a contract," he acknowledged. "As long as I make sure I am right, then I know I will have done everything I can."