Michail Antonio has shown how a lack of chances during his teenaged years and difficulties left him on the point of quitting soccer.
The West Ham ahead has just embarked on his fifth season and scored 26 goals for the Hammers.
Antonio’s time at the English game’s highest level is a far cry from his humble upbringing in soccer in Tooting and Mitcham United, where life’s stresses led him to question whether he had been on the path pursuing a career in football.
“For me personally to become a professional footballer, determination was key, on and off the pitch,” he told Sky Sports through the launching of Jacamo’s new campaign.
“There was one stage in my football career where I believed I wasn’t going to make it. We didn’t have much money and my dad said to me that football wasn’t a true job.
“I remember going home 1 day and telling my brother that I was going to quit football since I was 17 and had been too outdated. My brother said he wouldn’t let me. He got me my very first pair of boots and people that were the boots I managed to develop into professional in.”
In addition to overcoming hardship from the pitch, Antonio needed to overcome his fair share of struggles onto it.
A deficiency of vulnerability to academy football lengthened his wait to get the chance to turn professional and left him behind his peers . After the chance finally arrived, he discovered obstacles obstructing his dream.
However, as Antonio admits, beating those challenges has made person and him the player he is now.
“My very best advice is to keep going, keep pushing until you reach your target,” the 29-year-old added. “Even in the event that you feel like you’ve reached your peak, then you could always be greater.
“Once I’ve achieved something, I will always push myself to attain something different. When I got in the reserves, I mentioned I want to get into the first team. I wanted to get into the Championship and then I wanted to get into the Premier League when I got into the first group.
“it is a constant battle, you have got to prove yourself to fresh players, both new supervisors and the lovers. I scored nine goals and had 11 assists in the Championship and do better than particular players in my place, but they informed me I was not consistent when I spoke to Premier League supervisors.
“Getting consistent enough to get into the Premier League continues to be my biggest challenge. I have kept having to pick up herself and move again.
“Since I didn’t go through the academy program I missed out on a lot of the method work so I would go out first before and after coaching to reach the stage I’m at.
“Now I have played nine different clubs, I am in the Premier League and I have been called up for England.”
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