Michail Antonio is back in English football with a new triple role, sharing plans for his career change after a car accident.
Former West Ham striker Michail Antonio has made his return to English football by signing a short-term deal with Championship side Watford.
Antonio left West Ham at the end of the 2024/25 season after the club chose not to renew his contract. He had been through a tough time after breaking his leg in a serious car crash in December 2024 but had managed to get back on the pitch for Jamaica before his release.
The 35-year-old spent a short time earlier this year with Al-Sailiya in Qatar, but now he’s back in England, taking on more than just a player’s role at Watford. The club announced on Friday that Antonio had signed a contract until the end of the season to play for the Hornets.
While he’s not fully fit yet, the Watford Observer reports he might make the bench for Saturday’s Championship game against Stoke City at Vicarage Road. He’s about a month away from being ready for full action and has been training with the team since August.
But Antonio’s role at Watford is special—his representatives, Golden Gate Group, shared on Instagram that he will also get chances to develop as a coach and help the first team coaching staff off the pitch.
Watford’s new head coach, Alessio Dionisi, is the club’s 12th manager since the 2020/21 season. Antonio will be working alongside familiar faces like Adrian Mariappa, a former Hornets defender and fellow Jamaica international, now part of the coaching team.
Currently, Watford sits 12th in the Championship after two wins, two draws, and two losses from six games. They recently came from behind to win 2-1 against Preston North End on Tuesday.
Back in July, Antonio told FourFourTwo that West Ham offered him just £5,000 a week to stay with their U21 squad, which he felt was unfair after 10 years at the club. When he asked Karren Brady, West Ham’s former vice-chairman, why the offer was so low, she replied, “Well, they haven’t been in a car crash and shattered their leg.” Antonio decided not to sign the contract.
He also shared that he had a falling out with former West Ham manager Graham Potter after speaking on TNT Sports about how clubs handle players recovering from serious injuries. Potter told him not to return to the club, but Antonio stood his ground, saying he had a right to be there. After that, they never spoke again.